The Collinsport Chronicles: The return of Phillip
by Maryland Rose
Summary: Phillip Todd is back, mysteriously, and must be cleared of Paul Stoddard's murder. For this they need Nicholas' cooperation, and that means setting him free of the shadow that Angelique put on him. In the meantime, the werewolf curse descends to David.
1. Chapter 1

The threat that hung over Collinsport has gone. Elmer Urrey with a new identity can now leave Collinsport. But the problem with the newly arrived Philip Todd remains. Declared dead after falling off Widow's Hill in 1970 he has mysteriously reappeared, leaving his wife, and her friend, the sheriff with the problem of how to clear him of Paul Stoddard's murder. Chris Jennings has had a bad episode where he went berserk and destroyed a herd of sheep, but few know yet that the reason was that he was drugged by David.,

The return of Phillip Todd

Chapter 1

"How are you doing today?" the nurse asked Phillip Todd.

"What do you think? I've been shot. I have lost my memory of the past nine years. I am going to be tried for a murder I didn't commit. My wife...well, you know what she is. Except for that, I am doing fine.'

"It is not as bad as that. The sheriff knows that you didn't kill Paul Stoddard, and is trying to prove it. Your memory will clear up on its own."

"Which leaves my wife."

"You still don't want to see her?"

Phillip paled. "You know what...what she is... and what she does.

"There is no harm in her. Of course, I don't like the way she carries with all available men, but that doesn't mean you are in danger,"

Phillip stared at her throat.

"What are you doing?" she cocked her head. " Are you t trying to see when was the last time that Barnabas visited me?

"You talk as if... as if that didn't matter.'

"It doesn't, really.. The only problem is that I can't convince him to give me a roll in the hay afterwards."

"If it had not been for him" Phillip gritted his teeth. 'Megan.."

"I know. He's felt lousy about that for a long while. But it's all in the past now."

"I can't forgive him for it."

"He understands. He says that there is a chance to prove your innocence, and that your wife is working on it."

"Why? Why can't he leave me alone?"

"You really want to go to jail?"

"At least there I would be... safe." Phillip turned his face away.

"But you are safe now." the nurse sat on the bed. "your wife won't come unless I tell her that you want her to? Do you want it?"

"Why should I want to?"

"So that I can get a good night's rest. It isn't enough that I work staggered hours. I also have to put up with her pestering me night after night."

* * *

Carolyn smiled as she went over her accounts. If she kept dumping unemployed people on Barnabas' lap, sooner or later the townspeople would figure that he was more trouble for them than he was worth. Him and Maggie...

She rubbed her neck. It felt as if something filthy clung to her. But no rubbing would erase the memory of his teeth.

She would make him pay for it. She would see him crawl in the dirt.

Roger came in. He acted more subdued since that time when Sabrina had knocked the gun off his hand. I fact, she had not heard him lately sprouting theories about the missing eighteen minutes in Nixon's tape.. It was a good sign.

Sabrina had been making noises about having him committed. Sabrina would be sorry she had said that when the contract for plant security wasn't renewed.

"How are you doing?" She asked him.

"Much better, thank you." Roger sat down and stared ahead. "David's in town again. And again he didn't even bother to ask whether I was still alive."

"Forget him. He's no good. We only have each other now." she took his hand "no one else wants us."

"I know. Only you and me, now." David was a stranger to him, he thought, like Elizabeth...

"We are going to be all right, we two."

Suddenly Roger straightened up and stared at Carolyn "You think I'm crazy?"

"No" a shiver ran down Carolyn's spine.

"You do. Everybody does. I can hear what people say behind my back. 'crazy Roger, he should be put away'"

"I won't let them"

"I shouldn't have pulled that gun on Sabrina. I only wanted to protect you, and I failed."

"There are better ways to deal with them than guns. Specially Chris and Barnabas."

"I know, but I thought that by threatening Sabrina..."

"It is easier to stop Barnabas than Sabrina... Funny what happened to her. She managed to catch pneumonia, And Chris is in the hospital, half-conscious. They are going to have a lot of medical bills. And then they will find out they lost my account's"

"What about Megan?"

"What about her?"

"See? You think that not only I am crazy, I am also stupid. I know that the Jennings agency is just a front for Megan. She will not allow it to go broke. And you say nothing about not hiring Megan anymore."

"I can't afford to." Carolyn admitted. "But Sabrina wants to buy her off. She would if she got the money."

"If you offered her the money, she'd be suspicious. But if it was me hiring her..."

"That's an idea" Carolyn was pleased, not only at the suggestion, but because it gave him something besides Nixon to worry about. "Why would you hire her?"

"To prove Maggie's and Barnabas' involvement in the framing of Nixon."

Carolyn could barely suppress a moan at this.

"Not that I expect her to tell the truth. She was in it too, you know. But if I say I believe her, that will throw her of f the track. And the false report she will give me will contain certain clues. Sometimes a false report tells you more than a true one. You just have to know where to look. You have to start asking yourself why these red herrings and no others...Have to study every word, and then compare it with all the other evidence I have... It is only a question of finding the right clues."

"I see" Carolyn winced inwardly.

"You don't believe me. You think I'm crazy, you too. But tell me, how could Kennedy and Johnson get away with much worse and nobody ever said a word? Why was Nixon the one who got it? They had it in for him since the day he defeated Humphrey."

"I know" Carolyn sighed "But why do you think that Barnabas is involved?"

"After they kicked Nixon out there were new faces in Congress. Like Maggie. And Barnabas ran her campaign.. And he has a built-in alibi."

"What do you mean?"

"What does he do in the daytime?"

"He lies on his back."

"Suppose he doesn't." Suppose he can get away without that for two or three days. Plenty of time to frame Nixon, right?"

"Maybe" Carolyn tightened her fists.

"Don't agree with me as if I was a child! It is true! And what they did to Nixon they can do to you!"

"They won't. Unlike Nixon I know two or three things about Barnabas. Enough to make a lot of trouble for you and Maggie."

"But you won't use them. If you expose Barnabas you expose Megan. And if you expose her, she'll make public what she knows about you."

"I could pay her well, and let her get out of town."

"If she wants to, and it is not very likely with Phillip here. And she also works for Maggie, basically keeping Barnabas out of trouble.. She will not cooperate with you."

"I'll figure out something."

"How about my plan? Do I go out and hire Sabrina?"

"I'm not sure. I cannot give you much money" Carolyn tried to find an excuse to deny it to Roger "We are short of money now."

"Save that lie for the people you lay off." Roger rose, angry. "You have the money. You just don't want to give it to me. I know what you want. You want to buy my shares of the company. And once you got them, you'll put me away."

"Why would I do that?"

"So that I cannot leave anything to David. So that you'll have enough shares to control the company in spite of your mother."

"Suppose you are right, why should David get anything? Or Adam? All they've done is hurt us."

"I don't care about Adam. But I don't want David to be left out in the cold. When I die, if you want to wrest control from your mother, you'll have to deal with David."

"What for? He manages nicely without us.

"I won't disinherit him, and that's final."

* * *

Elmer Urrey looked at the papers Angelique had given him. Now his name was Derek Pearce. He tried to memorize the name. From now on, he should answer to that, and ignore the name Elmer Urrey.

He studied the signature on his driver's license. He should practice that handwriting too.

He looked at the photo of his new face. He wondered if he really looked like that?

Suppose Angelique had double-crossed him. Given him a different face. Since he could not use a mirror...

But he could use the photo machine at the shopping center...

Suppose his new face and fingerprints were on the Ten Most Wanted of the FBI...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chris awoke slowly.

"How are you doing? Amy asked him.

"Amy?" He was in a fog, but could recognize her still... "What is it? Where am I?"

"In the hospital."

"In the hospital?" Memories came back uneasily " What happened?"

"You had an accident."

"Where is Sabrina?"

"Sick with pneumonia."

"Pneumonia? What about Urrey?"

"Megan said to tell you that everything came out right, at the end."

"Good" he sat up "How long have I been here?"

"Over a week." Amy moved uneasily in her chair and looked at her hands

Chris noticed her embarrassment "What's wrong,?" he asked gently.

"Nothing... David and I... We've been living at your place."

"So what's the problem?"

"You don't mind?"

"Mind?" In a flash he remembered the bitter quarrels with David. "No... you can stay there if you like"

"Do you really want that?"

"Amy..." he looked at her. "I almost died and... some things are not so important anymore. And other more important things need doing... We have not talked you and I for a long time."

"You had your reasons."

"Not good ones." he said bitterly "I invited you because they twisted my arm behind my back. And if I had died in that accident, I would never have the chance to tell you how sorry I am."

"You mean it? You are sorry to have sent me away?"

"Send you away?"

So that was it. It had happened in those months when despairing of a cure, he had sent Amy to stay with relatives. He had not bothered to explain to Amy why...

"That hurt you?"

"It doesn't' matter now."

"That's why you moved in with David, to punish me."

"What if I did?"

"Do you want to know why I did it?"

"If you want to.

"I am a werewolf."

"A werewolf? Really?

"Why not? You know what Barnabas is."

"But Barnabas is... Barnabas. You are my brother."

"It always happens to someone else, eh? Well, this time it happened to your brother. I had no control of it then," His eyes glazed as he spoke "And you were so small, so fragile... I could have crushed your skull quite easily... I had to send you away, because if I didn't, one day I would have killed you."

"Killed me?"

"Just like that... One day I would see my little sister, my sweet Amy, lying in a pool of blood, dead, by my hand...You see., I had to send you away..."

"You didn't send Sabrina away" Tears formed in Amy's eyes in spite of herself.

"I tried, but she was too stubborn for me."

Amy looked a him strangely.

"Amy? Chris was alarmed. What is it?

Amy threw herself into his arms, crying.

* * *

Megan knocked on Quentin's door. If she was lucky, she might be able to get Louella back with Willie.

"Damn Quentin" she said under her breath. "I hate being involved in family troubles."

But she had to. Without Louella, Willie wouldn't agree to withdraw his complaint against Nicholas. And without that, Nicholas wouldn't clear Phillip.

Louella opened the door. When she saw who it was she tried to slam it shut, but it was too late. Megan had already slipped in.

"I want to talk to you." she said.

Louella pulled the cross hanging from her neck and held it in front of Megan.

"Oh, well, here we go again." Megan backed down and sat on the couch "Do you know how ling it is since someone pulled that stunt on me? You make me nostalgic, honey."

"Get out!" It was more of a plea than a command.

"Willie wants to talk to you."

'He wants to?" This time there was fury in her words. "Barnabas wasn't enough for him. He has to go to you."

"What?"

"You, Barnabas, and Willie" Louella's knuckles were white, so strongly she held the cross.

Louella was close to panic, Megan realized. Also it was true what she said, she was too much like Barnabas for Louella to trust her.

So she got out. Louella would never listen to her.

Why did she have to promise Willie that she would fix his marriage? She should have known better than that.

Then, there might be another way to get around Nicholas...

* * *

Barnabas sorted his mail. The Government still wanted him to fill forms. As if he didn't have enough of these in his job! He wondered how much time he had left before he turned into a form-filling machine.

He saw the postcard. From Greece, if you went by the white columns shining in the foreground. For a moment he remember his childhood dream of seeing Greece.

Who had sent it? Elizabeth? But she was in France. The Stokes were digging holes in the ground somewhere in South America...

He turned over the card, and there it was, the name he hadn't dared to hope for: Julia Anderson.

Anderson? Well, she was married now. But it was Julia!

There wasn't much in the card. Just telling him that she had married, that she remembered him, and that she wished him luck.

There wasn't even a return address. Well, he could get that from Willie. The important thing was that she had finally written to him.

Iris went in to water the plants, as Sabrina had asked her to.

As she did, she remembered other things that Sabrina had said.

"I should have never invited them in" It was amazing how much bitterness Sabrina could put in her words "You and Angelique dumped them on me. Well, see what it got me!"

Sabrina would get over it, Iris hoped, as she got better.

But still, she was responsible for what had happened. If David had drugged Chris... very likely he had...

But David did not know that Chris was a werewolf, and would react badly...

... But even if he was not, if Chris had been driving, the result would have been a different kind of disaster.

* * *

David came up behind her.

"What are you doing here?" David glared at her, his thumbs stuck in his belt.

"Watering Sabrina's plants. She gave me the key "Iris hated herself for being so defensive towards him. "And you, what did you dope Chris with?"

"I don't touch drugs" David did not bother to sound convincing.

"You sent him to the hospital."

"Well, with the kind of dirty work he does, the wonder is that he did not end up there sooner.

David sat on the floor and rolled a joint.

"I could have you arrested for that."

"If you don't mind explaining to Barnabas later."

"You shouldn't even stay in this house!"

"I've got permission. Chris told Amy to stay as long as we wanted."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Are you going back to Washington?" Megan asked Angelique"

"Frank is expecting me."

"Before you go, would you find your brother for me?"

"What for? There is only one way that Willie will withdraw his complaint. And you told me that you did not have any luck with Louella."

"I'll think of something else."

"What happened between you and Louella?"

"I am too much like Barnabas for her taste." Megan sighed "then, I'm no marriage counselor. I can kick Quentin in the butt, but that will not fix what Willie did wrong."

"What was that?"

"Hang around Barnabas so much. Louella resented the time that Willie spent away from her that way. Then he takes him to Washington before he ever took her. Divorce court is full of stories like that. " her eyes narrowed. "you got me off on a tangent. What about finding your brother?"

"I don't think it is a good idea to let him come back. He always means trouble."

"He has lost his powers now. The worst he can do is try hustling money out of you."

"What happens if he gets his powers back?"

"Then it's better that it happens here, where we can be on top of him."

"I suppose you are right." Angelique's voice lacked conviction.

"What is it, kid? Why don't you want him there?"

"I don't like him. He was always our parents' favorite, Of course, he was a boy, and that made him so much better than me in their eyes. I was always better than he was, but no one would admit it... and when I finally beat him at his own game, he never forgave me for it."

"I see. When were the two of you born?"

"In the seventeenth century."

"That's a Hell of a long time to carry sibling rivalry. Find him anyway."

"I'll have to use the ink mirror this time. Cup your hands."

"As she poured the ink on Megan's hands, Angelique thought with satisfaction that Megan would get dirty hands out of this, and if she was careless, stained clothes.

Slowly, the image formed itself on the black surface. Nicholas Blair was lying on a bed. He had rumpled clothes, an overgrown beard, and a half-empty bottle at his side.

"Down to the cheapest joints to look at the furniture" muttered Megan. "He'll be glad to take any offer I make him."

Nicholas suddenly screamed, covering his eyes.

"Got the D.T.s too.. Let's see where that cheap room is."

Angelique didn't answer. She just stared at one corner of the image.\

"What's wrong?"

"The shadow. He still got the shadow."

"What shadow?"

"The shadow I put on Jeb Hawkes, and which Jeb put on him..."

"Oh?" That was useful information. "First find out where he is."

The image pulled back to the corridor to show the room number. Then it went downstairs to find the hotel name, along with the street name and number. A phone directory gave them the city and state. Then, as Angelique made the pages flip for them, they found the phone number and area code.

'You got it all written down?" Megan asked.

"Yes. It is all here. You can wash your hands now."

Angelique held the bathroom door open for her. Megan bent over the sink and let the ink flow down the drain. Grabbing a paper towel she opened the faucet..

In the bedroom Angelique finished packing. She was about to check the contents of her purse when the doorbell rang.

Iris came in. "Thank god I caught you!"

"What do you want?" Angelique looked crossly at that woman who had stolen Barnabas from her. And she didn't love him either..."

"Would you do a favor for me and Barnabas in Washington?"

"Why don't you ask Megan?"

"It has to do with Frank."

"What of him? Isn't enough that you have taken Barnabas? You want Frank, too?"

"We want a signed deposition about what happened to him here, with Carolyn and Megan."

"What for?"

"Protection. Carolyn is out to get Barnabas. She might try exposing him to the Federal Government. If that happens, we'll give the Government proof that she had dealings with another vampire, and those dealings involved violating Federal Law."

"And if Megan doesn't like it?"

"We'll take the chance."

"And I'm supposed to get it for you? Do you realize how that might get Frank in trouble?"

"I don't think that we'll ever need make it public."

"What's the problem?" Megan came in, wiping her hands.

"Iris wants Frank to put on paper what happened between him and you."

"To use against Carolyn?" It is a good idea."

"If Carolyn exposes Barnabas, I'll get it too. This way we'll have something to bargain with."

"Bargain with?"

"I can offer to turn State evidence against Carolyn. I might even get immunity that way."

"You think that the Feds would bargain with...with a vampire?"

"Why not? They are bureaucrats, and these people know one thing. No one pays them to have opinions about vampires. They are only paid to catch those who break the laws... Angelique, if Carolyn gets Barnabas, other people will fall: Maggie, Chris, Sabrina. Frank too."

"Don't be like Barnabas" Iris added "Do not ever forget how dangerous she is, and what a bitch she can be."

"Remember Jeb's people? Remember Petofi? Judah Zachary? Well, that's going to look like a picnic after Carolyn goes after us. She's after me, too, since I can only prove Phillip innocent by accusing her late husband. Tell Frank to sign that statement for his own protection."

"So the two of you are now leagued against me?"

"We need that piece of paper."

"Why do I have to do the dirty work?"

"Don't do it then. But we will get it, one way or another."

"Are you threatening me?" Angelique gave a sudden twist at the handle of her handbag.

Iris gasped for breath.

"Come on, Angelique" Megan took Angelique's hands and forced her to release the handle. "You are not going back to your old tricks, are you?"

"All right. " she let go of her purse. "But she'd better watch her step."

"I am sure she will."

"Good bye, Megan. Nice seeing you, Mrs. White." She slammed the door as she left.

"Better keep out of her way for a while." Megan lighted a cigarette "Just remember that she isn't half as good at removing curses as she is at putting them."

"I didn't realize she hated me so much."

"Barnabas is a sickness with her." Megan shrugged "she can't live with him, and she can't live without him. Then you took him away... And now you seem to be threatening Frank."

"I guess I was the wrong person to talk to her about that."

"Same with me and Louella... But she will tell him of it. And he may see the logic of it better than she does, if nothing else because he knows how the game is played..."

"I hope he comes around. We are going to need that protection of we want to put another industry in town."

"How's it going, that search?"

"Maggie will try to help. She helped set up the environmental studies center, and the sale of handcrafted quilts at a Georgetown shop. We are trying to figure out what industry ahs the best chances of success. Barnabas is going over the records for it."

* * *

David strode towards the High School. He planned to make a big sale today. Even if he sold only half the stuff he had, it would be plenty...

He laid against the wall, acting nonchalant. All he had to do was wait for his contact to show up.

Something caught his eye. Down at the end of a street.

Another man, laid against the wall, acting nonchalant...just like him.

"A narc!" he realized.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Barnabas came in to see Sabrina.

"How are you doing?"

"Lousy. Don't you have anything better to do with your time than hang around hospitals?"

"I came to see you."

"You've seen me. Now you can go away."

"Sabrina, please..."

"Didn't you get what you wanted? Your girlfriend talked me into taking David and Amy in. See what it got me. Now there are hospital bills, not to mention those sheep that Chris killed. I'll be lucky if I break even from this caper."

"I am sorry."

"You are always sorry. You were born sorry. Go back to work before I tell your boss that you are never at your desk."

Barnabas left Sabrina saddened. So much bitterness..."

Maybe it was his fault. If David had drugged Chris... But David couldn't have done anything so vicious as that... The worst thing he did was smoke pot...

He hesitated before entering Chris's room.

"Hey, Barn! Come in."

"How are you doing?" He was reassured by Chris' smile..

"A lot better. I should be out of here soon, unless the doctor wants more tests...after all, he's got a werewolf in his hands, and he's curious to see my physiology. Too bad about Sabrina. Seems that she's not the ideal patient, and refuses to cooperate, which means that she may have to stay here longer."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"Amy's been visiting me regularly. We had a long talk and now we are communicating again."

"I am glad to hear that. I told you that you shouldn't cut her off."

"Yes, you told me so." Chris was too happy to be irritated. "Barn, tell me the truth, do you think that I am a horse's ass?"

"Why? No!"

"Don't bother lying... I was the rising young executive, knowing what the proper status symbols were, what the best climbing tricks were. I had planned my future so well... I get sick when I think of it now."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You were so happy that your curse was under control that you thought that you could do anything. And that you had a right to enjoy yourself."

"Well, having a curse to worry about did not keep you from developing moral standards of your own. I envy you."

"You too have moral standards."

"Not for a long time." Chris said bitterly. "Unless calculating how much I could get out of anything can be said to be a standard. But you, You and Megan. You both have them. They are different standards, but for both of you there are things you wouldn't dream of doing, no matter what anybody else says. And when it comes to that, you dig in your heels and nobody can move you. While me, I am the world's expert at drifting with the current... Look at Amy. She screws up her life, and all I can think is that she can hurt my career."

"It was more than that."

"Don't try to cheer me up. "I know what I have done to myself... you would have never done to your sister what I did to Amy."

"I'm not sure myself...I loved Sarah... but...if she had done what Amy did..."

"I know, before you were cursed you too drifted with the current. But since then, you realized that drifting was no longer an option. You began to ask yourself questions. Hard questions. And you didn't stop until you got answers. I envy you."

"There was a high price tag attached " Barnabas could not help his sarcasm.

"I wonder, I wonder if there is a price tag too high to develop standards of your own."

"Those who died because of it will not agree with you. No, the price was too high, and I would rather not have paid it."

"I watched 'Holocaust' on TV. Had the two of us been living in Nazi Germany, I know which one of us would have helped the Jews, and which one would have pretended no to see anything, and even helped the authorities."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Barnabas said ironically " But the truth is that there is no way of knowing what each of us would have done...

He couldn't finish. In front of him stood Magda Rakosi. Older than when he had seen her in 1898, but still fierce and bitter.

"Barnabas!" she shouted "she needs help!"

"Who? What?"

"She's Jenny's child."

"Amy!" Barnabas rose.

"She's at his brother's house. now." Magda said and disappeared.

"I'm going too." Chris tried to rise from the bed.

"No!" Barnabas restrained him. "You are not well enough for that."

"She's my sister.!"

"I can go there a lot faster by myself." He made Chris lay down, and disappeared from the room.

* * *

"If you didn't snitch, how come there was a cop waiting for me?" David shook Amy.

"I didn't!

"You lying bitch! You talked to them!"

"David, no!"

"I'll beat the truth out of you!"

"I didn't! I didn't say anything!" Amy sobbed, then, desperately she found defiance "And I am sorry I didn't! I should have told everybody what you did to Chris!"

"So now you are talking!" He grabbed Amy by the hair and beat her head against the wall "I'll teach you to carry tales around!"

"David!" Barnabas threw himself on David, grabbing his arms and forcing him to release Amy.

Amy collapsed on the floor.

"What have you done to her? Barnabas knelt by her side.

"This is none of your business"

"She's badly hurt" Barnabas lifted one of her eyelids. "Better call an ambulance."

"I told you not to meddle."

"Tell _me_ not to meddle, _gadjo_." Magda appeared, her face contorted with hatred. "Tell me that, and see how much grief I will give you!"

She extended her arms towards David.

David backed up. If she were to touch him... The thought of those fingers on his face...

He screamed.

"Magda, don't" Barnabas pleaded. "Don't do anything you'll be sorry for."

"There are no children this time." Magda laughed.

"Don't let her touch me!" David whimpered "Don't let her."

"Too late for that, _gadjo._"

Barnabas rose. Should he try to shield David? He knew it was useless. He could not stop Magda. And then Amy...he had to take care of Amy.

"You filthy bloodsucker, you are letting her get at me!" David yelled before he ran out the door.

"You can't escape me" Magda laughed as she followed him.

Barnabas covered Amy with his coat and went to the telephone. It was the best he could do. He couldn't protect David. And he suspected he didn't want to. Not after seeing him do what he did to Amy...

Having called the ambulance, he returned to Amy's side. She was so pale...

He could hear David's cries in the woods. Why couldn't Magda get it done with? Then, if Magda wanted to drive him over the cliff...

Magda was capable of anything...And looking at Amy, he couldn't blame her.

But he couldn't let her kill David...

Then came David's high pitched scream.

"Magda! Magda!"

"What do you want?"

"What did you do?"

"The wolf curse."

"Again?"

"I gave him the curse that Amy would have carried to her children. Now she's free of it forever." She looked at Amy "She looks so much like Jenny. You should have seen her before Quentin ruined her life."

* * *

Sheriff Brant stood outside the closed door. The room was supposed to be empty that late at night. Yet there was a light coming from inside, and there were also muffled sounds.

He drew his gun. Somebody was looking over the records. And with that Urrey business unfinished, he imagined the worst.

He pushed the door open "Get your hands up or I'll shoot! he shouted.

Derek Pearce raised his hands. "I am not doing anything wrong, sheriff."

"Surreptitious entry. Attempting to steal government property. How's that for starters? " He recognized Urrey. Megan had shown him what he would look like once Angelique gave him a new face. And anyway, he recognized his mannerisms.

But unless Urrey brought it up, he would say nothing about it.

"Turn over" he ordered him.

"Please, sheriff"

"Your hands on the wall. Spread your feet."

Pearce did as he was told. Was his new face really that good? The sheriff frisked him and took his wallet.

"Derek Pearce, eh? I wonder if you got a record."

Fear gripped Pearce. He knew it, had known it all along. Angelique had given him the wrong identity. He would have to answer to charges he knew nothing about.

"I just wanted to check my fingerprints." he whined.

"You think this is the public library? And why would you want to check them, anyway?"

"I wanted to know what my new fingerprints look like, and if there is a record attached to them."

"New fingerprints? What have you been smoking, anyway? You think somebody gave you new fingerprints without telling you?"

"It is the truth." Pearce whined more strongly "I'm Elmer Urrey."

"Elmer Urrey is dead. The body was properly identified. I can show you the death certificate."

"I _am _Elmer Urrey. The guy Barnabas told you would steal anything that wasn't nailed down.

"All right. I believe you." the sheriff returned his gun to his holster. "You gave me a scare. I thought you were from the Mob, trying to figure out if you were already dead."

"I'm sorry."

"It would have been easier if you had asked permission first. I was ready to shoot you."

"I wasn't worried about that."

"I know. Lead bullets cannot kill you. But they could kill me if you panicked and tried to wrestle me for the gun. then you'd have a cop killing on your hands."

"I didn't think of that."

"You should. If you plan to make a living as a second story man you better start worrying about these things. Personally I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of trouble. I put my career on the line with that death certificate. I wouldn't want it to come out that I expedited it while I knew you were alive. Give me your hand.."

"Give you...?"

"You wanted your fingerprints, didn't you? So I'll take them. Personally, I don't know why you worry so much. Everyone involved wants Elmer Urrey to stay dead, and that cannot be done with bad papers or a bad identity."

"One can never be too sure."

"You want a photo of yourself? Or is it with photos the same as with mirrors.?

"It isn't. But I already got my photo from the machine at the shopping center."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Your boyfriend is an Excedrin headache" George Brant told Megan "he got the idea that there is no difference between a police station and a public library."

"I know" Megan sighed "if he hadn't looked so much like Phillip I wouldn't have touched him with a ten foot pole. What was he doing at your office, anyway?"

"Checking his fingerprints, he was paranoid about them. I think I reassured him. Again, I might not."

"That's his problem. Have you seen Phillip lately?"

"No, the doctor says that it is best for him if I keep away from him. What about you?"

"His nurse tells me that he gets hysterical each time someone mentions my name... I have another problem..."

"Willie.. "George nodded.

'I was stupid enough to offer to fix his marriage. I could just kick myself for it. What the Hell do I know about that?"

"Yes" George shook his head "it isn't something you can accomplish by slipping someone money, or by blackmail."

"There must be another way I can bargain with Nicholas... something that Angelique said..."

George offered Megan a cigarette. He wondered how Megan would reach to his next words. He liked her, and he did not want to see her hurt.

"When you have cleared Phillip, will you want to move in with him?"

"Why you ask?"

"Because I think you should not try. Don't take it personally, but..."

"But he's better off without everybody's sweetheart. I know that. It hurt to say it, but it is true. No, I just owe it to him. And you know I always pay my debts.

"You still hope that he'll come back to you."

"Yes, just as you hope that one day you'll get laid by Barnabas. Neither of them will ever happen."

George tensed up "please, don't talk about..."

"About the fact that you got a crush on Barnabas?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But we'd better talk about it. I'm scared that one day you'll forget yourself and you'll put your arms around him. He's going to jump to the ceiling, for starters. Then he might get violent. He grew up at a time when homosexuality was something that got you burned at the stake.. He's going to panic, and there may be a loaded gun around..."

'Funny you say that." there was a dreamy tone in George's voice now. "You know, what happened today with Urrey, I mean Pearce...I mentioned to him that he ran the risk of a gun going off and killing me...That he might wrestle me for my gun, and it could go off..."

"Well, that's the way you died in the alternate future. Barnabas wrestled you for your gun,, and it went off."

"Well, I shouldn't worry. According to that future, Carolyn has to die first."

"Still, it makes an omen, and a pattern. I learned to be wary of patterns. There may be a chance yet that you get shot by a panicking vampire.. Patterns make events follow rigid paths. That's why Barnabas found it so difficult to change the past. He could stop Quentin from destroying David, but he couldn't keep the werewolf curse from coming down to Chris. And if he could rescue David from Quentin, he could not keep him from falling under Gerard's influence.. Be afraid not to put Barnabas into a position where he may panic."

"I wonder if I should wear my gun with your around." George joked.

"I never panic. And violence isn't my thing... There are better ways."

"Of course, you have your ways." George rubbed his neck and looked suggestively at Megan.

"No" she shook her head. "We have to talk about this."

"What is it? We had an arrangement."

"You changed the rules for it."

"What do you mean?" he hoped that Megan hadn't found the truth.

"I don't mind covering up for you. I will bite you anytime so that people will think you've gone to bed with me and won't suspect you are gay."

"Yes, that was our arrangement."

"But now it is something else."

"What is it?" But he knew that she had figure it out.

"When I bite, you close your eyes and pretend it is Barnabas."

George turned white.

"You are only hurting yourself and I won't be a party to that. You have to accept that Barnabas isn't for you, once and for all.

"I wish I could tell you were wrong."

"Am I?"

"No". For some minutes he was silent, then he added "Are you sure that he will never come to me? That he is not bisexual? Deep down?"

"He might be. But very very deep. He won't accept it. It has taken him over one hundred and fifty years to adjust to being a vampire. Maybe in another one hundred and fifty years he will accept his bisexuality." Megan shrugged "So, don't hope too much."

* * *

Willie clutched the bottle in his hand. He knew he shouldn't drink, and what would happen if he did.

But it hurt so much inside...Louella was gone. Quentin had taken her from under his nose. And all the while he spoke of God...

He should have seen it. Everybody else did. Maggie knew. Sabrina knew...yet they had said nothing. They let it go on...

Megan had promised him to get Louella back. She'd better. No Louella, no help with Nicholas. Serve her right. She too knew what Quentin was doing and she too had said nothing.

And if he got Louella back, what would he do? She had slept with Quentin. Could he ever forget that...?

He needed to see her. He wanted to talk to her so much...

He stared at the bottle. Still unopened. It wouldn't solve his problems, he knew, only make them worse.

But there was so much pain inside of him... and one swallow could ease the weight inside his chest.

With his hands shaking he opened the bottle.

"You shouldn't drink." a voice said behind him.

Startled, Willie turned. A guy he had never seen before stood there, smiling.

"Have I got the D.T.s?" he wondered. He had not started drinking yet...

He poured himself a glass. "Who are you?" he asked the strange man.

"Derek Pearce. You knew me by another name."

Willie stared, puzzled. There was something familiar about the man. Then it hit him.

"Elmer Urrey." he said, finally.

"Elmer Urrey is officially dead. You can see the death certificate if you want."

"So what do you want?"

"My money."

"What money?" Willie raised the glass to his lips.

"Come on, Willie." Pearce caught Willie's wrist and forced him to spill his drink on the floor. "You know very well what money. Those bets of mine you placed with a bookie. One of those horses came in first."

"So?" Willie stretched his left arm, trying to grab the bottle again, but Pearce kept him at a distance.

"So I want that money."

"Who cares about your money?" Don't you think that I have enough troubles of my own? You know that my wife left me, eh? Or you don't care at all?" Willie tried again for the bottle.

Pierce pushed Willie away and took the bottle away..

"If you want your bottle, you'd better give me my money first. come Willie, I am willing to give you ten percent of it."

"Why don't you and your money... Don't you have enough money already that you come bother me?"

"You bet with my money. I told you I'd give you ten percent of the winnings, but that's all."

"Screw you and your money!" Willie slumped into a chair, holding his face in his hands.

Why couldn't he be left alone? Did Pearce think that a stupid horse bet was all that mattered in the world? Didn't he see the state he was in? Didn't he see he was falling off the wagon? Didn't he care?"

"Where is the money, Willie?"

"There is no money." Willie shrugged.

"What do you mean there is no money? You placed the bets, didn't you?" His eyes narrowed "I know you did take the money. Did you keep the money and forget to place the bets?"

"Who cares?"

"I do." for one second he felt tempted to twist Willie's neck, but only for one second. And then, the sheriff had a complete set of his fingerprints.

"Why not think you put it in the wrong horse again?"

"Because this time I put it on the right horse." Pearce went purposefully to the sink and began pouring the booze.

"Hey! What are you doing?""If you want this to go down your throat instead of the drain, give me my money back." He held the bottle upright. "There is still plenty in here to get you drunk. Yet. Just give me my money."

Then he poured more booze down the drain.

:""Wait!" Willie shouted " the tickets, they are in that drawer." he pointed to it. "I never cashed them."

Pearce took the tickets out. "Yes, here they are. I'm sorry I suspected you. You'll get your ten percent."

"Just get out, will you?" Willie was now screaming.

"All right. Here is your bottle. You can get as drunk as you want, now."

"The Hell I will!:"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Roger went into the hospital. Finally he had convinced Carolyn to give him the money to hire Sabrina.

Would Sabrina believe that he got all that money on his own?... If she was greedy enough, desperate enough..

He went up to her room, but there was a doctor already there, talking to the nurse.

"She isn't getting as much rest as she should." the nurse said.

"When are you letting me out of here?"

"You must try to rest, Mrs. Jennings. You are making it more difficult for yourself to get well if you refuse to sleep and relax."

"If you had to lie on your back all day, with nothing to do, you'd tense up too. Specifically when I think of the money it is costing me."

"Come on, Mrs. Jennings, why are you so mad at everybody?"

There was more, but Roger moved on. It would be a while before the doctor left Sabrina. And if he gave her a sleeping pill...

He went down one floor, so as not to be seen hanging around Sabrina's room and arousing suspicion.

For somebody who was suppose to have screws loose he could think rather clearly about things. He smiled as he thought this. Not everyone would have remembered not to let Chris know that he was here. Chris, unlike Sabrina would smell the trap.

He saw the policeman sitting outside one of the room. Of, course, Phillip Todd was there.

He walked by, smiling at the policeman. He was an old man. He surely remembered him when he was 'Mr. Collins', not 'that nut Roger.'"...

He could hear Phillip's voice inside.

"Who is the President now? Agnew?"

"God forbid! It is Carter."

"Carter who? And why did you say, God Forbid? Agnew would have been a great President.

"Agnew is a crook. Same as Nixon "

"Nixon a crook?" There was outrage in Phillip's voice. "How can you say that? He's great. You do not know how great."

"He's a crook. He didn't go to jail by this much." Miss Harding said. with triumph in her voice.

"I don't believe it. I will never believe it."

Roger's heart leaped in his chest. At last he had found somebody who knew the truth! Philip Todd believed, like him, in Nixon's innocence!

And they were going to try him for a murder he did not commit.

"As they want to lock me in the nuthouse" he thought. "and for the same reason. Because we know too much. Because we ask too many questions."

He had to spring him up. Sabrina could wait. Getting Phillip out couldn't.

If only Sabrina had not taken his gun away...

* * *

Amy regained consciousness slowly. As she woke up, she saw Chris sitting by her bedside.

"David!" she said, half-screaming.

"He can't hurt you anymore." Chris leaned over her. "And one of our gypsy ancestors gave him what he deserved."

"What happened?" Amy looked around the room.

"Barnabas found you. He called in the ambulance and then convinced the doctor that, as long as I did not leave the hospital, I could keep you company. Good for both of us."

"Chris, there is something you must know."

"That David drugged me?"

"You know? It is the only explanation that makes sense. I'm relieved it is only that."

"Only that?"

"I was afraid I was losing control of the wolf. But a bad trip, I can handle."

"Can you forgive me for it?"

"Of course. The important thing is that we are a family again. That is, if you don't mind having a brother that sheds."

"No matter what kind of brother you are, I want you."

"Good. I am also going to get out of the business. You are right. It is a dirty one."

"You don't have to. All those things I said.. I was just echoing David..."

"Still I want out of it. I'm going to find myself an honest job."

* * *

Willie sat in the park, feeding the pigeons. It was cold, but he didn't mind it. His head felt amazingly clear.

It was wonderful not having had a drink the night before...

He still didn't understand it. He had been willing to give Pearce the tickets just to save the remaining booze. But as soon as Pearce had left he himself had poured it down the drain.

Boy, had he been mad at Pearce! Here he was, at his most pitiful, destroying his life with drink. Did Pearce care? As long as he got his tickets, he'd given him matches to set himself on fire.

Good think that he hadn't drunk, then. If he had, he'd be now with a hangover, and having to look forward to a lecture from Barnabas.

* * *

Louella kissed Quentin anxiously, as he came in.

"Why are you so worried?" he asked her.

"It is going to be dark again. And Megan will come for me."

"She won't. Not while you are wearing a cross."

"She will find a way. She and Barnabas."

"They won't prevail "Quentin smiled, almost professionally "this is the symbol of the Passion of our Lord, and of his triumph. While you trust it, the forces of darkness will not prevail."

"My faith is weak" She said in a low voice. "Though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil." She recited.

Her heart was not in it. Worried,, she opened the Bible to find solace in it."

She screamed.

"What's wrong?" Quentin asked.

She was sobbing, pointing at the passage, the first one that had caught her eye.

"Thou shall not commit Adultery!""

"What have I done? What have I done to you? I caused you to sin...And because of that, God will punish me. He will deliver me into Barnabas's hands."

"Don't say that! Don't ever say that! God will not allow _them to _touch you."

"What we are doing is Adultery... I am married to Willie."

"Willie married you for one reason only. It was not a true marriage."

"He and that...thing are lovers, aren't they?"

"Yes. They are. Willie deceived you. He took advantage of your innocence."

"He did." Louella straightened up. "I was right in leaving him. He kept inviting that...that thing. Anytime he wanted. Behind my back. And when I complained, he threatened me... He wanted me to go on covering for them. They way they have Iris doing , now."

Inwardly Quentin had doubts that the arrangement with Iris was such as Louella imagined. She might cover for Barnabas and Willie, but she was getting something out of it, too.

But what good would it do to tell that to Louella? It would only confuse her.

If only Willie would have the decency of giving her a divorce, then they could get married, and there would be no more scenes, and she could come in his trips.

But he and Louella were as much married as if they had gone through the ceremony.

He felt lucky to be able to love her. After so many years of wandering, he was growing roots.. After so many mistakes, one after the other, he finally felt he was doing the right thing. He thought of all the women he had known. All the faces that burned his flesh with lust. None of them compared to Louella. None...

Except for Beth Chavez...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Phillip stared bleakly ahead. What was going to happen to him? The thing that had been Megan was after him, and so was Barnabas.

And the sheriff. And that murder charge. At least Maine had no death penalty. Just jail for a long time. He would not mind it so much if he was sure that Megan could not come after him in the jail.

But he didn't hope for that much luck.

He glanced at the newspaper the nurse had left him. He couldn't make sense of it... Had things changed so much since 1970? There wasn't a name there that he recognized... And what had happened to Nixon..

With the corner of the eye he saw the door open. Roger came in, a finger on his lips.

"Speak softly. The guard is sleeping outside"

Phillip nodded "What do you want?" he whispered.

"I'm going to get you out of here."

"Out of here how?"

Phillip remembered that Roger was supposed to be a mental case. he looked at him warily.

"You think I am crazy, don't your? Roger stared at Phillip.

"No, not really." Phillip felt uncomfortable.

"That's what they told you. Just as they told me you were a murderer. But we know better, don't we?"

Phillip nodded.

"You are in danger here. Barnabas does not want you to tell what you know. That's why he wants you locked up. They are all in it. Your wife, your nurse, the sheriff..."

Phillip wanted to dismiss this. But he couldn't Roger was voicing his own fears back at him.

"I will not let them sell you down the river. I'll get you out of here, one way or the other."

"How will you do it?" Phillip spoke before he realized that he was accepting Roger's offer with those words.

"We'll have to make a plan... At least it is easy to slip by the guard at your door." Roger thought for a few moments. "How strong are you? I mean, can you make a run for it?"

"I'm not sure...but I keep getting better."

"What about the schedule? I mean, doctors..nurses..

"I will give you one the next time you are here."

"Good. Do they drug you?"

"At night. But it is pills, not shots. I can keep them in my mouth and spit them out."

"Excellent."

* * *

David washed his face in the stream. If he rubbed strongly enough maybe he could rid himself of the memory of those icy fingers touching him...

His head was clear now. He had run a long time, stopping only to rest for a few minutes, catching snatches of sleep here and there, eating what he had still left in his pockets, even shooting up once when the pain had been too great.

He couldn't go on like this. He had to make a plan.

Amy must have talked by now. They might be in watch for him. At the bus station, giving out his description...

He couldn't get out of town that way... If it was summer he could try to go through the woods. But not in the middle of winter...

But suppose he holed up here...If he could remain hidden in an abandoned summer cabin, and steal some food, he could wait until the snow melted...or until they gave up looking for him. He still had plenty of the stuff on him if he needed to shoot up...

* * *

Nicholas Blair studied his billfold. It was growing thinner. His next deal better come through, or he'd have to leave this dump for someplace worse.

The shadow flickered on the wall. He acknowledged it with a weary shrug.

That shadow was his only souvenir from the Leviathan fiasco. Courtesy of the bitch of his sister. After he'd gone back to his body, he expected the shadow to be gone, having already 'killed' him once. But it hadn't been fooled so easily.

No matter. He had found how to control it. If he used his powers, it grew. If he drank it shrank.

You could trust Angelique to think up something like that. Serve her right the way Judah Zachary had fixed her...

The phone rang. He shook himself from his reverie and answered it. Maybe the deal was coming through, after all.

He couldn't place the voice of the woman talking to him. It sounded familiar all the same.

"You and I were in the same business together, in 1970, Mr. Blair." the woman said with false sweetness.

"What kind of deal was that?"

"Jeb Hawkes."

"Megan Todd! he finally placed the voice. "You cannot be her!"

"Yes. I am Megan Todd."

"But you are dead!"

"In a manner of speaking..."

"But Willie killed you."

"Willie flunked anatomy. He can't tell the heart from the stomach. I recovered and went away for a while. Didn't he tell you that?"

"Tell me that when?"

"When you fleeced him on that Florida land deal. Oh, I forget. He did not know then it was you. I found it out for him, so that he could lodge a complaint against you."

"I see., What other favors have you done for me?"

"None. I just want to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer?"

"Help with that shadow of yours."

Megan breathed hard. That was all she had to bargain with now.

"What would I have to do?"

"Tell the sheriff here how Paul Stoddard died."

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Historical purposes."

"Phillips's back and you want to clear him." Megan's gasp told him he had guessed right. "Well, throw in some money to the pot, and immunity from prosecution, and I might consider it."

"Are you crazy? You think that you are in shape to be driving bargains?"

"You want Phillip freed, you pay me my price."

"I can have you extradited, you know. I'm a good friend of the sheriff, and he can cash some favors he's owed. And if that's the case, you won't get the chance to settle out of court."

"Extradition is not that simple a procedure. I know." he tried to bluff her.

"Or I can just make that shadow of yours bigger. Much bigger. Angelique would be very glad to do it."

"No! Don't do that!" Nicholas's self-control broke at those words.

Megan smiled. At last she was getting somewhere. She let him cry a few minutes before she spoke again.

"We understand each other now?" she asked him.

"Yes."

"I will send you the money for the trip. Just don't get any funny ideas. Angelique can always find you. I'll see what I can do about Willie."

"All right Megan."

"My friends call me Megan. To you I am Mrs. Todd."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Todd."

Megan hung up. Angelique better know how to get that shadow out. There was nothing else she could use to bargain with Nicholas...Anyway, while that shadow existed, Nicholas was bound to be hysterical and worse, which may destroy his effectiveness as a witness..

She decided to visit Miss Harding. Maybe Phillip had changed his mind about seeing her.

Barnabas was already at Miss Harding's house. She decided to wait outside until he was finished.

She heard them talk.

"But you told me that Iris isn't jealous?" Miss Harding was saying.

"Still, she wouldn't like it."

"The arrangement you two have, she can have other guys and you can have other girls. Why not me?" her hand went down his thigh. and squeezed.

"I am going to be late for work..."

Megan decided to rescue his endangered virtue. She appeared in the living room, next to them.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked with perfect innocence.

"I was just leaving" Barnabas said. He gave her a grateful look and disappeared.

"Why didn't you wait?" Miss Harding complained to Megan.

"Better keep your hands off him. I would not like to see him hurt."

"Why? He got from he what he wanted" she rubbed her fresh wounds "why can't he give me something in return?"

"Tell him your troubles and ask for advice. He's very good at advice, specially unsolicited advice.. /But no stud service. He does not do that...What about Phillip?"

"You've got a one-track mind, don't you?"

"Does he want to see me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I could be mistaken. After all, turning green, screaming, and hiding under the covers when your name is mentioned might just be his way of expressing his love for you."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Barnabas sighed as he tried to put his desk into some sort of order. His thigh still ached from his close call. If Megan had not come in...

He still could not adjust to the sexual habits of the twentieth century. In his time, tarts acted like that, nor respectable women.

He didn't need to repeat to himself all that was wrong with the sexual habits of the eighteenth century. Women's Lib had already told him more than he wanted to know about the subject... Still he wished she hadn't grabbed him so hard.

The sheriff came in as he was halfway writing a memo.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Nothing that can't wait.. You want some coffee?"

"Did you make it?"

"No" There was hurt in his voice. "They told me to keep away from the coffee machine."

"I don't blame them. You make abominable coffee. And offices run on coffee. You can manage without chairs, desks, typewriters, anything. But take away the coffee machine, and the office collapses."

"And now that Idi Amin's out of the picture, people can drink it without guilt feelings."

"Well, all those hours spend circulating petitions to boycott Ugandan coffee, finally bore fruit. And then the ones advocating for the McGovern effor to overthrow the Khmer Rouge..."

"Well, that was not needed after all. Both Idi Amin and Pol Pot are out of the picture, and not a moment too soon."

"Agreed, but that's not what I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?

"David."

Could he tell him that David was a pusher? He looked at him. He felt a twinge of desire as he studied his nose and mouth..

He dug his fingernails in his palms. No. He wouldn't hurt him that way, unless he had proof of it. Unless he had enough to convince Barnabas it was true.

"I told you what happened last night."

"I know." George shook his head " He's a werewolf now, of course."

"According to Magda, yes."

"I wish I could wring Magda's neck. She doesn't like someone, she curses him. As for us, who have to put up with him, what does she care?"

"Well, we got to find him. And we can do for him what we did for Chris."

"Chris wanted to be helped. I am not so sure about David."

He had to be told that David was a pusher. Sooner or later...But he didn't have the courage to do it now.

"I think that David has...other problems."

"Other problems?"

"He hit Amy, didn't he? And he drugged Chris."

"You have no proof of that."

"There is proof of what he did to Amy."

"I couldn't believe it... I saw it, and I still don't believe it."

George sighed. "At least the full moon is over three weeks away. That gives us time to find him. If he hasn't gotten away. At least I have the manpower. And we didn't have any drug flare-ups at the High School this time. "he gasped, wondering if Barnabas would make the connection."

"That's good" Barnabas said "what are you going to do with David when you find him? Send him to jail for attacking Amy?"

"You know better than that. I cannot in good conscience send a werewolf to jail...if we catch him..."

"What you mean, if you catch him?" The wording worried Barnabas. He sensed that the sheriff was trying to tell him something, without saying it outright.

"He might have slipped out of town. Then when the full moon comes...it scares me to think about it."

Barnabas said nothing, wondering what George was leading up to...

:"It might just be the think to let everybody know what goes on in this town. They'll find out about David, and the about Chris, and Megan, and you... They'll find out about Pearce..." George went white "Do you realize what that means?"

"What?"

"I expedited Urrey's death certificate, while I knew he was still alive. Do you know what the D.A. will do if he finds out? I'll be lucky if I end up as a fingerprint clerk."

"Is it that what's worrying you?"

"Of course! I don't expect you to understand. I've put my ass on a slingshot and I am throwing my career out of the window. Do you know what being unemployed means? No, you don't. You've never pounded the pavement. You never spent hours waiting for the mailman only to get the same letter over and over. We are impressed with your qualifications, but they do not meet our requirements... What the Hell do you know about that?...All my life I wanted to be a cop. You do not know the things I gave up for this job (even coming out of the closet, he thought). And I am going to lose it all because of David..."

"I see" Barnabas sighed "you are telling me this so that I don't start screaming 'police brutality' when David's found shot next to a throwaway gun."

"Barnabas!" George was shocked to realize that was what he had been flirting with.

"Don't do it, George. It won't be worth it. We cannot sink to the level of Houston or Philadelphia. And you are too good to end up a killer cop."

"It is so tempting..." George rested his forehead on his hand "God, you do not know how tempting it is..."

"If you find David, try to catch him alive. I'll take care of the rest."

"How?"

"I am his relative. I can have him released in my custody, if we can get through that he might need psychological help."

"You'd need a doctor for that."

"Julia's coming back. And even without her, Megan will find a doctor for me."

"I don't know if it will work."

"We won't know until we try, will we?"

"You are right." George smiled. "you know, you get on my nerves sometimes, but you are all right."

"That's what everybody says about me. That, and cracks bout the IRS." Barnabas laughed, still wary of George.

"You are a very special guy." George came closer. "I mean, I look up to you. I want you to think well of me."

He got closer to Barnabas. Close enough that he could kiss him...

The door opened and Iris stepped in.

"Well, I'll do with David as you say" George left, somewhat guiltily. What had she seen? How would she interpret it?

"What was that?" Iris asked Barnabas.

"I just convinced him not to shoot David 'while trying to escape'"

"Good for you" There had been more to that, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Any luck with those things I gave you?"

"None. You have to face it. When you are out of a job, and living on unemployment, not sure about the future, it is hard to care about refugees... We do need that other industry."

"I know. The idea about the lobsters wasn't any good. But I've been thinking about a furniture factory. I mean, a place to build ready-to-assemble furniture. We have wood, and we have skilled people."

"Fine, get to it." she hung herself from his neck and kissed him.

"Want to go to my place? Barnabas tried to divert her. He didn't like the idea of doing it in his office.

"By the time we get to your place, it's going to be dawn. It has to be here..."

"I've work to do..." he tried to wiggle away.

"It can wait." she kissed him, deeply.

"What if somebody comes in and catches us at it?"

"So lock the door" She slid down her hand and caught him in the tight. In the same spot that Miss Harding had grabbed him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Phillip thought about Roger. He wasn't as crazy as people said. At least, what he had said made a kind of sense...

Yet, there was something odd about him... Well, with the kind of relatives that he had, it wasn't any wonder.

He was the only one who understood that he was in danger from his wife.

The sheriff came in.

"How are you doing today?"

"Well enough to go to jail, if that's what you mean."

"We are trying to keep you out of jail."

"Are you? You just want to turn me over to my wife?"

"I thought you'd be glad. After all, you didn't kill Paul Stoddard."

"Let me see your throat."

"What?"

"Let me see your throat!"

"The sheriff shrugged and opened his collar. "Your wife is a good friend of mine. We do favors to each other, all the time. This does not mean a thing."

Phillip stared at George's scars. "Roger was right, then..."

* * *

Willie thought about it. Getting Louella back wasn't going to be easy. He had to face that there was more to it than Quentin's treachery...

Somewhere, his relationship with Louella had gone wrong. If he didn't find out what it was, there was no sense in getting her back.

He had to stop blaming people from his own failings.

He wondered how long it was since he had met Barnabas. Not since Megan had told him that his relationship with Barnabas was the one of the reasons why Louella had left him.

But he shouldn't punish Barnabas for it. He realized that Louella wouldn't have resented Barnabas so much if he had handled it differently. If he hadn't expected her t take as given a relationship that had taken him years to develop...

Him and Barnabas...They went back a long way... Since that day in 1967 when he had been looking for jewels, and instead he had found him.

He remembered the terror of those days. When he had been forced to work for Barnabas. Yet there was something ironic in that. He realized now that part of his terror came from the fact that for the first time in his life he was holding a steady job. There is always something terrifying about responsibility when you don't have the hang of it.

As for Barnabas in those days...Well, you can't lock up somebody in complete sensory deprivation for one hundred and fifty years and expect him to come out in perfect mental health...the surprising thing was that he had come out in such a good shape.

He smiled as he remembered... Poor Barnabas. He had no idea what the world around him was like... Still trying to act as if the was in 1796... When you called blacks "boys" and anti-Semitic expressions were part of every day conversation...For a while Willie had been curious whether it would be the Jewish Defense League or the Black Panthers who would get him first.

And then, he was the only character around who had no opinion whatsoever about the Warren Report. Each time Kennedy's death was discussed, he seemed a spectator at a ping-pong match.

* * *

Chris looked at Amy intensely.

"What is it, Chris?" there was fear in her voice.

"You are hooked, aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Is that what your doctor is trying to tell me?"

Amy nodded, tears in her eyes... "David..." she said.

Chris pulled up Amy's sleeve. "Oh, God!" he said. "I'll kill David for this."

Shaken by his fury, Amy turned her face away.

"You are going to be all right now." Chris tired to make his voice calm, unsuccessfully. "you are going to kick the habit. And you won't do it cold turkey, either."

"Chris!"

"You know, you are lucky. It is not like me or Barnabas. You can stop being what you are any time you choose to. But you must tell me the truth about it, all the truth. Is David a pusher?"

* * *

Barnabas looked uneasily at the door. At any moment now Iris might drop in. He did not feel like another session of sex on the floor. Not tonight, anyway.

If there were ever caught at it, not even Maggie would be able to save his job. Not that he loved his job that much... Between Iris and propositions like Miss Harding's, his nerves were shot.

He wondered about the coffee machine... After all, if he could drink alcohol every now and then, he might also be able to handle caffeine. Both of them were basically drugs, not food...

He heard steps coming down the corridor... He was almost ready to fly out the window when he realized that those were a man's steps.

If fact, they sounded just like Willie's..

He opened the door, smiling. "Willie, I have not see you for a while."

"I know. I decide I had to talk to you."

"About Louella? Barnabas sighed "I know it was my fault. That's what Megan said."

"It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was the one who took her for granted. If I had given her the attention she deserved, she would have never resented you."

"Even so, it was partly my fault."

"No." Willie shook his head. "It was mine. I have to start taking responsibility for my actions and not punish other people. I finally figured it out."

"You finally figured out what?" What was Willie leading up to?

"Two nights ago I was drowning in self-pity. I was blaming everybody. I had taken out the bottle so I could get drunk.."

"You didn't!"

"Of course not in the end. Let me finish... I wanted to make all of you suffer. When I had fallen off the wagon, you were going to be sorry you had treated me so lousy... You know who stopped me? Derek Pearce.

"Derek Pearce?" Or Elmer Urrey as he used to be named.

"He wanted his money back."

"What money? You have more sense than to borrow money from him, I hope.

"It was money that he had given me to bet on the horses. One of them had won the race but I never cashed the ticket... That's what he wanted."

"You gave it to him?"

"Not before I tried to get his sympathy. I was at my most miserable in front of him. It was an Oscar performance that I gave him. But he wasn't having any. He just wanted his money. As long as he got it, I could go hang myself." Willie laughed "It was a very sobering experience, let me tell you. Anyway, I decided to stop punishing people for what I had done wrong."

"That includes withdrawing your complaint against Nicholas?"

"Yes." Willie sighed "That was a lousy idea, trying to twist Megan's arm. I am letting her and Phillip off the hook."

Barnabas dialed Megan's number "Tell her now."

Willie picked up the phone "No one answers."

"Well, she must be out. You can try calling her later, closer to dawn."

"Fine" Willie paused "How are you doing, by the way?"

"OK," Barnabas lied.

"You look somewhat tired... Is anything wrong with you?"

"The business I am trying to bring in. You know that my idea of the lobsters fizzled out. Now I am trying to get someone to invest in a furniture factory... Maybe I can get a Canadian firm...until I get an answer, I am going to worry."

"Is that all?" Willie was concerned. There was something wrong with Barnabas, he realized.

"It's the...the paperwork." Barnabas was surprised at his own vehemence. "See all these forms here? I have to fill all of them. And more and more. They will end up in some Washington drawer and nobody will read them until the rats eat them... but let me not fill then, and I catch Hell... Look another batch here..." he pointed " And your read these forms and you wonder if they make any sense...A few more months of this and I'll end up thinking that people were created by forms so that they could move from building to building."

* * *

There was a conference going between Chris, Megan, and the sheriff.

"If you promise my sister immunity, she'll testify against David."

"It is the D.A. who give immunity, not me. But I do not think that we want David to go on trial."

"What you mean, not go to trial? It isn't your sister with arms like pincushions."

"David's a werewolf. Do you know how many inmates and guards he'll kill the first time the full moon rises over the jail?"

"So?"

"So, if we cannot try David, we are not going to try your sister, either... I am going to ask her some questions, though."

"What do you plan to do with David? Shoot him with silver bullets?"

"No."

"Why not? It would solve everybody's problems."

"There is the matter of his civil rights. Like it or not, the Constitution still holds."

"Barnabas got you brainwashed, I see." Chris paused for some seconds. "What _are_ you planning to do with him, anyway?"

"Turn him over to Barnabas. It think that he can do for David what Megan did for you."

"He doesn't know what he's getting into." Megan cut in. "And before you know, he'll be volunteering me for it. As if I didn't have enough trouble already."

"I promised him that I'd catch David alive."

Megan shook her head.

"I don't like it. For one thing, David's condition is complicated by drugs... George, do you realize that if the goes into cold turkey, that might have the same effect as the full moon?"

"He still has a sizable cache of what he intended to sell" Chris said. "Amy told me."

"Good, that gives us some time.. But I'd better outfit my men to handle a werewolf. I imagine you two can give me a hand in finding him."

"Of course, I want him found quickly" Megan said "And so does Chris."

"What about Angelique?"

"In Washington"

"Damn it! She was the one who could have found him, quick.. As it is, the ball is in your court. Don't take it bad, Megan, but you are only good at night. As for Chris, well, you are not yet on top of your form now... What does Murphy say? That if anything can go wrong, it will?"

He then went to the door. "Well, I leave now. I have to prepare my men. You two start searching."

He left them. From the corridor they heard him speaking to himself "The D.A. is gonna get my ass this time".

"He's edgy, isn't it? Chris said.

'He's figuring how much the Urrey business can cost him."

"How about you? Any luck with Willie?"

"Willie? He's stubborn as a mule. No Louella, no help."

"Maybe he'll change his mind."

"I don't have all the time in the world. I already made a deal with Nicholas."

"But if Willie didn't withdraw the complaint, what did you have to bargain with?"

"I told him that I'd have Angelique remove the shadow from him."

"What shadow?"

"The one he got from his last fight with her."

"You think that Angelique might be willing to do it? Or, even if she wants to, will she be able to do it?"

"It's a gamble I took." Megan shrugged "I did not see what else I could do."

"I see" Chris waited a few seconds before adding. "Megan, I want out of the business."

"What?"

"I want to sell you my share of the agency. I have to. I don't like the things the job is doing to me. I've become cold, calculating..."

"Materialistic, sold-out to the establishment, what else?" There was barely concealed fury in Megan's voice.

"It is a dirty business... I should try to make an honest living for a change."

"And what about me?"

"You can manage."

"Of course, I can manage. but I would like some help every now and then. It isn't enough that Phillip is still under arrest. It isn't enough that George's patience is wearing thin because of the Urrey business. It isn't enough that Sabrina gets in scrapes every time my back is turned trying to buy me off. It isn't enough that Willie gets stubborn on me. It isn't enough that I promised Nicholas something that I don't know if I can deliver. It isn't enough that before I know it I will have to keep Barnabas from making a complete mess out of 'helping' David. No, that's not enough trouble. You have to go off and leave me."

"Megan, please, try to understand."

"Of course, I understand. You have to find yourself. Everybody and his cousin is trying to find himself these days. As for the people who have to keep plugging at it. who cares? Well, you can go any time you want. You can save your soul . And may it do you a lot of good in the welfare line!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Frank Torrance blew up when Angelique told him what Iris and Megan had planned.

"They think I'm a public convenience? And sending you to do the dirty work!"

"I told them I'd have none of it."

"Good, no you tell them that I said to go jump in the lake. No, wait, give me the phone and I tell her myself."

"You'll have to wait until dusk, you know."

"Good., that will give me the time to think well what I am going to tell her.

* * *

George addressed his men.

"Remember, he's not Chris. He has no control over it. And on top of that, he's a junkie."

"Are you sure he's a werewolf?" one of his men asked.

"We have to go on the assumption that he is. I'm giving you tranquilizer darts. Make sure you don't use them unless you see him sprouting hair all over."

"Why not?"

"The dosage is enough to calm a werewolf, but on a human being it can be fatal."

"Why not just use silver bullets? After all, he's just a junkie."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. The Bill of Rights says that he's entitled to a jury of his peers, and that's what he's going to get. You cannot go around executing people without a trial."

"A werewolf isn't people." somebody grumbled in the back.

"Maybe. But you start with werewolves, then with other undesirable people, then with racial minorities... and it goes downhill from there. Well, this isn't here nor there. Go out in twos, not alone. If you see him howling at the moon, stun him. Otherwise, cuff him and bring him in. One of you keeps him covered with the stun gun just in case he starts to change. Be careful. If you fire a dart and be wasn't changing, heads are going to roll."

* * *

The phone ring caught Megan just as she was about to go out. She picked it up only to be assailed by Frank Torrance's voice.

"Who the Hell do you think you are, anyway? Do you think you can treat me like that? And if you want to threaten me, can't you do the job yourself?"

'Hello, Mr. Torrance." Megan fought to remain calm. "I see that Angelique explained our problem to you."

"She told me all right. Do you know what you are?"

"Can you put Angelique on the phone?"

"You don't talk to her. You talk to me."

"Mr. Torrance" Megan spoke deliberately "I would certainly love to discuss the problem with you. But this isn't the time nor the place. I will tell you only one thing. I have as little desire to open up that business as yourself. I wouldn't do that unless I had no other way. I will explain my reasons to you when I have more time. I'll even risk putting them in writing. but not now. Give me Angelique."

"I want your reasons. Now."

"Fine" Megan sighed. Couldn't one thing work right, for a change?" I am not threatening you, Mrs. Hawkes is. You've already met her once. She's an extremely vindictive woman. Far beyond the dictates of common sense. And you are in her enemies list. You are the one who fingered her to Barnabas. Think of it. Now will you give me Angelique?"

Frank handed Angelique the receiver, angry with himself for being unable to ruffle Megan.

"What do you want now? It was now Angelique's turn to put an outraged act.

"The shadow you put on Nicholas, can you take it off?"

"The shadow...?" Angelique managed to remember what it was about. "You mean take it off?"

"Yes. Can you do it?

"Why?"

"Because I promised Nicholas you would take it off.

"Without asking me first?"

"I was desperate. I had nothing else to bargain with. Can you do it?"

"It is going to be hard work."

"Can you do it? There was an edge of hysteria in Megan's voice "Don't tell me how hard it is, nor how much it is going to cost me. Can you do it?"

"Yes. But..."

"Good. By the time you come back your brother will have reached Collinsport. Be ready."

Megan hung he receiver, shaking her head. The things you had to do just to get a little cooperation...

She had barely begun to relax when Willie knocked at her door.

* * *

Barnabas looked at his desk with dismay. Where did all these papers come from?

It stood to reason that if you had a big pile of papers on your desk and you worked at it real hard, the next time you came into the office the pile would be at least a little smaller.

Instead, it was bigger.

"I didn't know there was so much paperwork in this world." he said with a sigh. And you wondered how much good it did. It was a job that must be done, or so they had told him. But must it? What difference would it make if he set fire to it?

Some people would not get their welfare payments. And that was all they had to live on...

He had to get that factory. Until he did, the unemployment problem would get worse, and all the relief that he could provide would come from that pile of paper...

And there were so many things he hadn't done. He should be able to do something for Roger. After making those noises about mental health, it was inconceivable that he hadn't tried to help Roger

"At least I saved the life of his only son... Or did I? George only told me that he would try."

"Is this all that I am capable of doing" Filling up forms."

* * *

Megan tried to smile at Willie, no matter how much she felt like strangling him.

"So you decided to give me a hand, after all?" she said to him.

Inwardly she seethed. Why couldn't he have done that a couple of days earlier, before she had to make that deal with Nicholas?

"I should not have asked those terms of you. I guess I wasn't thinking right at the time."

"I wonder if there was ever a time when you were thinking right." she thought "Look at you, standing there, waiting for me to hand you a medal" but all she said, with a fake smile was "Think no more of it. No harm was done."

None, unless Angelique can't take that shadow off Nicholas.

"You are very kind."

"Not really" she thought. "the only reason I don't throw you out of the window is because I can't afford to."

"And I left a lot to be desired...as I told Barnabas yesterday.."

"Barnabas?" she remembered that Barnabas had yet to be told about David and Amy "How's he doing?"

"Swamped in paperwork."

"He'll get the hang of it."

She had to see Barnabas. She couldn't wait to tell him what David and Amy had been doing each time they visited him. Now he swallowed what they told him, and allowed them to use their house to stash the drug they sold...

He should have bothered to ask them questions. He should have bothered to look up their sleeves. If he had done son, neither Chris nor Sabrina would have ended up in the hospital. If he had done that, she would be in a more manageable mess...

Yes, she would tell him. her mouth curved in a nasty smile She had been on the receiving end too long. It was about time she started dishing it out.

* * *

Barnabas looked at the door. Not Iris yet. Good.

He knew that he had to talk to Iris. They usually got along fine. It was just that her sexual demands were a bit too much..

Megan appeared in front of him.

"What is it? He asked without lifting his eyes.

"David" She saw him lift his head. "And Amy. Did you ever lift up their sleeves?"

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't. So you never saw the needle tracks. They are junkies, both of them.

Barnabas rose, staring at her.

"You know what the term means, eh? You know how you get it? They did it. Each time they visited you they shot up. Even worse, they sold it to kids. Ask the sheriff. Amy's now talking to him. Talk to Chris. He might show you Amy's arm. Really beautiful.

Barnabas closed his fists, slowly.

"And it was going on under your roof and you never suspected a thing..." Megan laughed You had a couple of pushers using your home as their headquarters!"

"Stop!"

"You were so blind! Where do you think the drug outbreaks in the High School started? Under your own roof, that's where! Each time David came to visit you, he told you a cock and bull story, which you swallowed without blinking, and then went to peddle the stuff..

Barnabas struck her.

He caught her in the jaw and made her stagger. Then he hit her again, The back of her head caught one of the file cabinets.

She was dazed for a couple of minutes. Just long enough to see a bat flying away in the window.

She ran to the phone and pestered the receptionist at the hospital to get Chris Jennings.

"Megan?" Chris asked "What is it?

"Barnabas has freaked out. I think that he's going for Amy."

What happened?

"Go to Amy's room now!

She hung up, turned into a bat, and chased after Barnabas


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Amy was resting. The hurt in her body was fading away. She soon would be detoxified, they told her.

Something dark came down on her, blocking the light.

"Barnabas!" she whispered "you scared me."

Barnabas said nothing. He looked at her in a way that disconcerted her as he pulled up her sleeve.

"Yes." he said with ferocity. "You got the marks on you."

Amy tried to pull her arm away, afraid.

"No, let me look at it." Barnabas hissed "I guess I paid for some of them myself. That's what David asked me money for, isn't it?

Amy nodded, unable to find her voice.

"So I got to your veins, after all." His face contorted with rage "you played me for a fool, didn't you? All that acting you did, that you were scared of having me bite you, of making me promise to stay away from you, that was just so that I would never know how laced with junk your blood was."

He dug his fists into Amy's shoulders so painfully that she screamed.

"I think that I'll find out what a junkie's blood tastes like." He forced her head back, brutally "I am really going at it this time I won't stop until you are dry."

"No! Please don't!"

"It won't make that much of a difference with you. You are already a pusher. You know how to get to other people's veins."

He bit down on her throat. He missed the vein and tore through the flesh until he reached it. He sucked the blood out, spitting most of it on the pillow, so that satiation did not make him stop.

A flash of light blinded him.

"Get away from her!" Chris snarled at him.

Barnabas looked at him, without releasing Amy.

"Get away from her, you bastard!"

A nurse came behind Chris. She pushed a cross at him making him recoil to the corner of the room.

"She's hurt" the nurse tended to Amy's wound, " but she'll be all right."

"Which is more than can be said for this son-of-bitch when I'm through with him."

Chris advanced towards Barnabas, his fists closed.

If Barnabas had an ounce of sense, he'd have left. But then, if he had that much sense, he'd never attacked Amy in the first place. It was just too much. The mounting paperwork, the frustration, the sexual advances he received night after night... David and Amy's treachery...

He only knew that he was hurting and that he wanted to hurt somebody back.

He faced Chris. The nurse still held the cross, leaning on Amy. He couldn't move on that side, now.

Chris understood that Barnabas wasn't rational anymore. He couldn't be calmed down by a kick in the groin. he was itching for an out-and-out fight.

And looking at Amy's blood on the pillow, Chris felt the same way.

"Come on, Chris" Barnabas clenched his fists and spread his legs. "Come on, give it to me."

Chris slipped into wolf shape. There was a short wave of pain running over his body and there he was, hair bristling, ears glued to the back of his head, legs in a half crouch ready to spring.

Barnabas advanced.

Chris growled his last warning. Amy was his littermate. His cub. The ancestral call of wolves to defend their young was in him now.

Barnabas moved to the side. Chris jumped and fell on his shoulder. His teeth caught cloth. He pressed hard. He shook his head, tearing the cloth and getting closer to the skin.

Barnabas tried to catch Chris' throat, but he could only use one arm, the other one being crushed under Chris' weight. Finally his hand got a grip on that throat.

All he had to work with were the loose folds of skin under Chris' throat. Chris' lower legs raked him until he lost footing and fell backwards.

Chris thrashed over him at the floor, still working at his shoulder. Then there was a crack...

Barnabas felt his own body go limp, while Chris's teeth were tearing flesh.

Then the pressure eased. Suddenly Chris' body was a dead weight over him...he looked up.

"I had to knock him out" Megan said " give me your hand and I will help you up."

Barnabas gave him his left hand. Megan took it and twisted it. There was a sting on his wrist and then... nothing.

Megan roused Chris.

Chris shook himself...then he was on two feet again.

"Is he...?"

"He's out. I got this drug that works of vampires, like Sodium Pentothal" she showed him her version of a tranquilizer dart fastened to her wrist. 'How's Amy?"

"Bleeding's stopped." the nurse said. "And I already called the doctor."

"Good" She pulled Barnabas up on his feet "I better get him out of here."

"Let me help you." Chris offered.

Megan wanted to tell him that he had already helped enough, but thought better of it. "Thanks."

"What did get into him, by the way?"

"He's mad as hell, and won't take it anymore."

* * *

The pain on his shoulder forced Barnabas awake. As his eyes focused he was aware of a weight on his chest.. a too familiar weight...

Afraid to move more, he stole down a glance.

They had placed a cross over his heart.

Fear and revulsion took hold of him. "Not again...no..."

Had Chris done it? Would he punish him so for what he had tried to do, by chaining him inside a coffin, like his father had done?

Panic mounted in him as he recalled those empty years. When nightmare followed nightmare. When he often dreamed of escape. Dreams so vivid that he could swear they were real, only to find himself chained again.

When Willie had finally let him out, he hadn't been sure it wasn't another dream...It was a miracle that he had not gone mad. Unable to move, to see or hear anything. Only able to listen to his own thoughts, feeling his mind panicking and calming down again, blanking itself to escape the panic, and then coming back for more...

"No!" he screamed "Not again!"

Willie stepped it "What's wrong?"

"Willie" Barnabas sighed with relief "take this cross off me."

Megan says that you have to stay there until your collarbone mends.

"My collarbone?" Barnabas was finally aware that his shoulder hurt.

"Chris broke it."

"In the fight..." Barnabas tried to remember.

"That'll teach you to pick fights with Chris." Megan came into the room. "Can you leave us?" she asked Willie "We've got things to talk about.."

Willie left.

"What got into you?" She asked him.

"It was just...too much. How's Amy?"

"In better shape than you."

"I tried to put my curse on her..." there was sadness in his voice.

"Well, you gave yourself hers."

"Hers?"

"Drug addiction. Didn't I tell you that Dr. Hoffman sensitized you to opiates? Well, what do you think would happen if you came into contact with an addict's blood?"

"Serves me right. I guess I'll have to go cold turkey now."

"Don't worry. I'll detoxify you."

"Do I have to stay here?"

"Yes. First, it is better for your collarbone. And second, I'm not letting you out until I'm sure you won't go berserk again."

"I guess I deserve it." He felt the needle of Megan's injection slide into his flesh. "But..."

"What go into you? I know that I was tactless. But you had reached your boiling point already. What's been eating you?"

"The paperwork at the office... I can't handle it anymore."

"Hmmm... I think you will have to ask Torrance for a crash survival course. What else?" she thought for a moment. "I saw Miss Harding make a pass at you. Is she the only one?"

"No!" he spat out "the only think I can find that works is to go late when they are supposed to be asleep. And even then I get asked for...for..."

"Stud service" Megan sighed "I guess it's my fault. Since I make it with the men, you are supposed to make it with the women. I'm sorry."

"At least when I'm here they cannot get at me." He stared at her. "I am really staying here? You won't let me out?"

"You are staying here. I'll get you some of Pearce' dried stuff for you."

"Pearce! He's at my place now. And I left my checkbook there!"

"Right. I'll go there before he cleans you out."

Megan disappeared.

"Willie?" Barnabas called. "Willie?"

"What is it?"

"Can't you let me out?"

"Megan says that you are supposed to stay here."

"She's not been locked up in a coffin for one hundred and fifty years. She doesn't know what it's like. Willie, I don't think I can take it."

"You'll make it. I won't leave you alone if that worries you." Willie squeezed his shoulder, the good one. "Make believe that you are in the hospital, in traction."

"Willie, I can't..."

"I got a TV set from my shop. It plays cassettes. And I got plenty of those. In fact, I got a Bogart festival, for starters. And then Bugs Bunn. Also there are my slides. You never got around to see them before."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Derek Pearce was hanging around when his attention was drawn to an argument going on inside the gun shop.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Collins. I cannot sell you a gun.

"What do you mean you can't? I've got rights."

"Does Mrs. Hawkes know that you want to buy it?"

"What does she have to do with this?"

"I'll call her. If she says it's O.K., I'll sell it to you."

"You think that I am crazy, don't you?" Roger stared hard at the salesman's eyes. He liked playing that trick on people. It was fun to watch them squirm and apologize.

The salesman was no exception. He apologized, wishing all the time that Roger would go away. But still he refused to give way. He wouldn't sell Roger a gun.

Pearce realized that he probably could make a profit out of the situation. Luckily, Barnabas was now incapacitated, and could not interfere.

He waited until Roger came out furious out of the shop.

"You'll hear from my lawyers!" Roger shouted from the door.

"Sure, sure" the salesman nodded.

Pearce followed Roger for a couple of blocks, waiting for his temper to cool off somehow.

"Mr. Collins" he said politely.

"What do you want?"

"I can get you a gun."

"You can?" Roger turned around.

"I overhead you at the shop. I'm sorry if I interfered, but I think it's a terrible thing they are doing to you."

"It's those damn gun laws. Next thing they will just come in house by house and take them away."

"My sentiments. exactly."

"Then when the Russians invade us, we will have no way of defending ourselves."

"Right!" Pearce encouraged Roger.

"We have a constitutional right to bear arms, don't we?"

"Of course. But the people in Washington don't want anybody to have rights. All they want is power. They have a thirst for power. They will grind everybody else to dust. They cannot bear the thought that there are better people than themselves. They are second rate and they can't bear it."

It was a good thing, Pearce thought, that he had bothered to read Ayn Rand. You could get some wonderful spiels out of that woman. And in this case, it might be what he needed to part crazy Roger from his money.

"You are right. You are so right..." Roger said enthusiastically "they are going to wreck this country. The greatest country on Earth."

"But I am going to do something about that. For starters, I will give you the guns you need. I know that you will put them to good use.

"I'm going to spring up Phillip Todd."

"He's going to be tried for murder, isn't he? "

"He's innocent. They are framing him. Just like Nixon."

"Of course." Pearce agreed. He remembered now that Nixon was Roger's particular hobbyhorse. "Phillip's a good Republican. They love nothing better than to frame Republicans."

"But no mention of Chappaquiddick. It is only Republicans they are after... It's a conspiracy, that's what..."

Roger stopped speaking abruptly. Derek looked at him, puzzled.

He followed Roger's eyes. They were standing next to a shop that had a large mirror in the window. And Roger could see that only one of them reflected.

Pearce cursed himself for not paying more attention. He'd better think up something fast before he had to kiss goodbye to Roger's wallet.

"You know what those people are capable of? That" he pointed to the mirror. "That's what they did to me."

"You mean...?" Roger turned slowly towards him.

"You ever herd of the graveyard vote? I stumbled on one scheme. Everybody in that cemetery had been voting Democrat since 1942 at least. They also got in the payroll regularly. They used that scheme to launder money... I was such a set-up you wouldn't believe. I found out about it. Then one of them found me and... and fixed me good so that I could not take them to court."

"Who was that? My cousin?" Roger spat those words.

"No. Somebody like him. A good Democrat. Loyal campaign worker."

"What's his name?"

"You'll be safer not knowing it...Anyway, what we need to worry is how we are going to spring up Phillip."

"Are you with me in this?

"All the way"

* * *

Nicholas counted the money. Yes, Megan had been generous, just as she had promised.

He'd better remember to call her Mrs. Todd, as she had made it clear. At least until she got the shadow off him.

He looked at the wall. Yes, it was there, dancing. Well, let it dance. Soon things would be different.

But until then, he'd better keep it small. He poured himself a drink.

After the first sip he threw it away in disgust. Why did he keep drinking that junk when he could now afford good whiskey? After all, Megan hadn't told him how to spend the money.

Yes, things were going to be different after Angelique had rid him of shadow. Very different.

For starters he would get his powers back. And then he was going to make them pay.

So they thought he was washed up by now? Soon they would find different. There were still a few tricks in the old boy yet.

He took hold of himself. That would never do. He had to convince them he was harmless if he wanted Angelique to get rid of the shadow. Afterwards, when the shadow was gone, that would be another story.

But the shadow wasn't gone yet. It still danced on the wall, and unless he had some alcohol in him soon, it would start to grow.

* * *

Louella looked out of the window and shivered. Days were so short in winter, and nights so long...

She clutched at the cross hanging from her neck. That would protect her. It _should _protect her..

Her eyes peered in the distance. In that last days she had become very aware of bats.

She could not kid herself that those were ordinary bats. Ordinary bats hibernated.

If only Quentin was with her...

But he was gone on a tour of college campuses, witnessing for Christ. As for her, she could shift for herself. It was not his problem...

No, She was unjust with him. They had discussed it a long time before he was gone. They had both agreed that she shouldn't go with him since they were not married, and they should not give any appearance of impropriety.

If he was willing to give himself to the work of the Lord, she could do no less.

Yet, she missed him...

She'd better get away from the window. It didn't do her any good.

There must be something there that she could do. Anything that would get her mind away from the deepening night.

She tried straightening the papers Quentin had left behind. There was some self-doubt in her as she did so. She didn't know what many of those papers were. Quentin was not at all like Willie, who expected her to keep the accounts of the shop.

Could she ever stop thinking about Willie?, she wondered, angry with herself.

Something shiny fell from between the papers. She picked it up.

It was a pendant, or rather a locket. Inside it there was a photograph of a young woman.

She couldn't understand why she felt sick all of a sudden. Her knees felt so weak that she nearly fell to the floor.

She rested on the couch for a couple of minutes. Then, as she felt better, she studied the locket again.

It was an old fashioned design. And inside it, there was the photograph of a young woman.

It was an old photograph, It that woman was still alive, she would be very old. Who was she? Quentin's grandmother?

There was some kind of writing on the photo, but so blurred with age that she couldn't make out the words.

She freed the photo from the locket to study it more closely. For some reason, that face had a strange attraction on her.

There was more writing on the back of the photo. Just two words.

Beth Chavez.

Louella fainted.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Derek was unsure about Roger. Of course, he was ready to swallow anything, but did he have the money? He had been asking about town for the last days, and all Roger seemed to have was a small allowance from his niece.

He might have saved on that. After all, he had tried hiring the Jennings to prove Nixon's innocence. He must have had the money then.

He would never know until he asked him, he told himself. So he went to meet Roger, to show him the gun he had got for him.

"You are late" Roger grumbled.

He wasn't. Roger had been there too early. But it never pays to antagonize a mark.

"I got you a gun.

"Give it to me." Roger's arm shot ahead so quick that it hit Pearce on the chest.

"In a moment." he better ask the question now. "you know that springing Phillip is not going to be easy. Nor cheap."

"It is going to be the easiest thing in the world." Roger kept his hand out, waiting for the gun. "the guard at the door spends most of his time sleeping."

"Don't you see it's a trap? They are waiting for Phillip to try to run away so that they can shoot him 'while trying to escape'. There are more guards about, only you can't tell them."

Roger's jaw dropped.

"We can get around that. But it would involve money... plenty of money...you understand?"

"I got money."

"I mean big money."

"My niece gave me plenty. I was supposed to use it to get Sabrina Jennings out of the way. But this is more important."

Derek relaxed, so the caper was worthwhile after all.

"Here's the gun." He gave it to Roger.

Roger caught it with hungry hands, his eyes gleaming. He turned around towards the rocks and squeezed the trigger.

He had to release the safety catch, disgruntled, as the gun refused to fire. He turned again to the rocks.

"This one's for Barnabas." he said, and shot.

A smile of triumph came to his face as he felt the heat of the barrel after the bullet hit the rocks.

"This one is for Representative Evans. This one's for President Carter. This one's..."

The bullets ricocheted on the rocks as Roger fired them in rapid succession.

Derek crouched down, alarmed. So Roger was also trigger happy...he'd better break that firing pin before he killed somebody.

The next time Roger fired, there were no bullets.

"You got more bullets?" Roger turned to Derek.

"Not here."

"Get them!

"I can't... not now.

"You can fly. Go get them!

He had to go. Else he'd never get his hands on Roger's money. But he didn't like it a bit. Pearce thought little of the laws, but he thought that the gun laws were too lenient. And Roger reminded him why he felt that way.

* * *

David prepared his shot. He crouched in the cave he had been living in.

At first he hadn't been sure he would make it, not with the cold and the hunger. But there had been shellfish, and he had been able to make a fire.

And he had become a good hunter. Look at the hare he had caught with his bare hands.

He had brought it so that he could cook it, but he might as well eat it raw. After all, that's how he had eaten its liver, heart, lungs, and stomach - still steaming as he dragged them out of the freshly killed body.

His shot was ready. He lifted his sleeve and tried to find a vein. It was difficult with all the scars crisscrossing it. He might have to use the wrist.

He tightened his belt around the lower arm. Yes, there was a vein there... He pushed the needle in, and let the heroin mix slowly with his blood.

It was good stuff. And it should last him a while, yet.

* * *

"Poor Barnabas" Angelique sighed as she attacked her ice cream.

"Why poor?" Frank was a little irritated at the way Angelique was always talking about Barnabas "I mean, he has a job and a steady girlfriend."

"She's no good for him. She took him only for kicks."

"What you mean, for kicks?"

"The SM scene. Getting laid by a vampire can be very exciting if you are into that..." she sighed "and she is into it. Then she'll get tired of him. Or let him down...I ca n see that happening."

"Honey, you can't live his life for him. He has to make his own mistakes."

"He was so depressed the lest time I saw him... He had been full of hopes that he could start a lobster-raising farm. Then he found out that he couldn't"

"Why not? It seems a good idea to me."

"You can't raise lobsters because they eat each other."

"Really?"

"Yes. To cheer him up I had to promise I'd start a letter writing campaign to help Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. He felt a bit better after that."

"He's still into that?"

* * *

"What's up, doc?" Barnabas said to Willie as he came in.

"Enjoying your Bugs Bunny?"

"Yes. Is it true that they had only one guy to do all the voices?

"Yes. Mel Blanc.

"Amazing...really amazing."

"I see that you enjoy that better than my slides" There was mock hurt in Willie's voice.

"Willie, I heard of captive audiences...but that was ridiculous." Barnabas answered in the same bantering tone.

He realized with a pang that there had been photos of Louella with the other slides... Willie had taken the trouble of removing them, so as not to distress each other...

"Can you move your hand?" Willie asked.

"Not much, Why?"

"I need your signature. You see, I'm taking over officially the task of attracting new industry.

"Willie!"

"You can't. Not while you are working for Uncle Sam. Conflict of interest."

"I see." Barnabas sighed. "But I do get to have a say."

"Of course. I am only fronting."

"You'll have to help me, then."

Willie took his hand tenderly and closed his fingers on the pen. After some effort, Barnabas managed to sign his name.

"It hurts" he said after he was done "that's the bad shoulder."

'Megan says it's mending quick. And you are finally detoxified."

"Maybe she should let me out...?" There was a pleading quality in his voice.

"I'll have to ask her about that." he then changed the subject "Iris has been giving me a bad time."

'Iris?" By the way Barnabas tensed up, Willie saw that Megan was right. Part of Barnabas' trouble was oversexed women. "She wants to know where you are."

"And you told her?" There was a dreaminess to Barnabas' voice with the approach of dawn.

"Megan said it was better not to. If you asked Iris to let you go, she'd do it. Megan only trust me to tell you _No _when it is for your own good.

Barnabas didn't hear the end of the sentence. As the sun rose, his lids lowered, closing his eyes, and sending him into deep daylight sleep.

* * *

Nicholas looked out of the window. Nothing but snowed fields and telephone poles to be seen there. Hills replaced flatlands, but that was all.

The trip was taking him longer than he had thought at first. When he missed that bus...well, it wasn't his fault if the liquor store clerk had been slow...

And when he had to stay overnight in the motel, was it his fault that they had stolen his money, along with the bus ticket?

Anyway, he had told Megan of that, and she had been very understanding. She had sent him more money. But only after a lecture.

He swirled his canteen. There was still booze in there. But he'd better buy more at the next stop. This way, he could be sure it would last him the whole trip.;

Soon he'd be back to Collinsport. He would find it changed, all right. Maggie gone to Washington. Dr. Hoffman away. Barnabas working for the Feds. His 'loving' sister still around. Phillip Todd returning. Joe Haskell released from Wyncliffe.

He wondered if there was something he could exploit. Maybe offer Barnabas a hope for cure? Offer Joe Haskell the change to get Maggie back? What about Victoria Winters? Was there a way she could be brought back? And if so, how could he profit by it?

He wouldn't know until he was back there. Not until he had his powers back.

And that would never happen unless his sister took that shadow off him. And she'd never do it unless she believed he was harmless now.

* * *

"I've been thinking. I should sign that statement that Iris and Megan asked me to.

Angelique stared at Frank. "Are you sure you want that?"

"I owe that much to Barnabas."

"But...your career..."

Frank was pleased to see her concern.

"For one thing, it's about time I stopped talking about doing my duty and started doing it. Also Megan is right. This is for my protection, too."

"I don't think so."

"I've seen Carolyn. I saw how she acted when she thought she had me under her thumb... Unless there is a way she can be stopped, she'll get us all."

"She might still get you."

"She might. But this way, we will have weapons." Frank shook his head. "It is time I put myself on the line for what I believe."

* * *

Roger handed Pearce the money in an envelope.

"Is this all?" Pearce counted it again. "This is only have of what I said we needed."

"I know. Half now. Half after Phillip is freed."

"But...?" he said in a hurt voice "you don't trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you. But the people you are giving the money to...what guarantee do you have they will not double-cross us?

Pearce sighed. He just had to come with a plan to spring Phillip, after all...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Are you sure you want to come to Collinsport with me?"

"Are you going to be saying this all the trip?" Frank tried to keep calm.

"You could give me your statement now, and I'd take it to Megan."

"What is it? Why don't you want me to go with you?"

Angelique hesitated. She couldn't tell Frank the truth, that she was tempted to give Barnabas another try. So she did the next best thing.''

"It's my brother...I don't want you to see him."

"Why? I know that he's a drunk and a small-time crook."

Angelique almost laughed. Imagine calling Nicholas small-time...

"He's a warlock. Just as I am a witch. He's dangerous."

"He can't be too dangerous, or he wouldn't have to sell swampland for a living.

"He's evil... And he'll tell you things."

"What kind of things?"

"Things about me. How I am as evil as he is... How I can never change, no matter how much I try,"

"Well, he's wrong, then."

"How would you know? You know so little of me."

"I know what Barnabas and Willie told me."

"If they had told you all about me, you'd never asked me to come to Washington. Deep down I know that I am evil. I have done so many evil things..."

"You are exaggerating" he squeezed her hand. "And if you've done things you want undone, you are not the only one."

Angelique shook her head.

"Look Angie, I know that once you were a devil worshipper. Well, let me tell you some news. Devil worshipping is the most inefficient way to bring evil about. To do it right, you need a bureaucracy with its mindset. And basic human urges."

"Hitler was a devil worshipper."

"He could not have gotten anywhere of without thousands of ordinary, stolid, law abiding people, following the dictates of bureaucracy... Angie, let me tell you something about myself. It happened when I was a green kid in the department. There was this guy who had a small business. Well, he had committed one or two technical violations. Small stuff, really. So I went after him. He had a good business going. He provided jobs for many people...he was a good guy. But he didn't obey all the rules. Stupid rules, they were. So I...I made him pay for it. I kept him going in and out of court. You know how important it made me feel? Well, he finally went broke. I celebrated my victory, figuring I was going to get a raise out of it. He killed himself. Just as I was celebrating, he killed himself."

Angelique stared at Frank, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Devil worshipping has nothing to do with it."

* * *

Roger sneaked into Phillip's room.

"We are going to do it tomorrow night."

"At what time? Nut or not, Roger was his only chance.

"Nine o'clock."

"What about the guard outside?"

"We'll take care of him."

"Good. What's the plan?"

"Just be awake and ready to go. If the nurse is still with you, be ready to hit her on the head. We'll come and get you out."

"How will you do that?"

"We'll have clothes your size. You'll wear them, and an orderly jacket. The rest is just walking out."

* * *

"Say Angie, I've been thinking. Once I give that statement you'd better put a whammy in it so Carolyn can't destroy it."

"A whammy?" There was something about Frank that Angelique couldn't help liking. Nobody had called her Angie before. And nobody, knowing what her powers were would have dared call it a "whammy".

"Yes. I mean the stuff you do. Your mumbo-jumbo."

"Use my powers, you mean?"

"Yes."

A small wave of fear ran through Angelique's body.

"I don't...don't like using my powers. They have a way of turning evil."

"That's because you lack practice in using them for good."

"You sound just like Megan."

"Really?" God, if she were to suspect that Megan had been the one who was behind his calling her to Washington...

"I wish I could be as sure as she is... I renounced the devil in 1841...

"That long ago?"

"Yes, but then I was shot...the shock of it made me travel in time to 1968 when I lost my memory of what had gone on. I went back to...to my old ways, trying to get Barnabas back, you see Barnabas had just told me he loved me, and was one thing that I remembered.. But in 1968 had not yet gone back in time, so he did not return my love, which infuriated me, and led me to all kinds of excesses.

"Go slow please. All that time travel is making me dizzy... By the way, wasn't Barnabas supposed to be cured in 1841?"

"Yes, but he went back through a time staircase. It was an experimental model, and it had a few bugs in the system."

"That makes sense. And in 1968 you finally married Rumsen?"

"That's a longs story . First I was pulled back to 1897."

"Again?"

"At this time, Barnabas and I made peace. then I went back to the sixties, when I met and married Rumsen.."

"You mean that in 1968 there were two of you? One that came from 1841 and one from 1897?"

"Yes."

"Wow!"

"Well, I still don't know if my renouncing the Devil in 1841 still holds... Do you know when it was the last time I used my powers? I used them to try to choke Iris... For some reason, putting curses is what I do best."

* * *

Nicholas came down the bus. It had been a long trip, with many unexpected delays. But he had finally gotten there. In fact, he had made it by the deadline Megan, er...Mrs. Todd, had given him.

And she wasn't there to pick him up.

It wasn't dusk yet, but that didn't matter. Nicholas chose to be insulted by her absence. He would make them all pay, one day.

An uniformed man came into the station. And old instinct of avoiding cops made Nicholas bury his face in a newspaper.

But George had already recognized Nicholas. He went to him and let his hand fall on Nicholas' shoulder.

"Mr. Blair" he said.

"You are wrong..." Nicholas tired to evade that heavy hand. "you got me confused with somebody else."

"No, You are Nicholas Blair. Mrs. Todd told me to pick you up."

"Why isn't she here?"

"You know better than to ask that."

"And you are picking me up for her? How nice." The booze in Nicholas made him bolder than he should be "What are you, a cop, or just a flunky?"

"If you want a cop, let me remind you that there is still a warrant for your arrest. in my office." George rose, his jaw set.

"But...but I thought that Willie had withdrawn it."

"Guess again. He will do it. But only after you clear Phillip Todd."

"You want to clear Phillip Todd too, of course. What's in it for you?"

"Nothing that you would understand. Like fairness, justice, integrity, and ability to do my job and be proud of it."

The sheriff's hand on his shoulder would not let him go. He was forced to follow him to his office.

"Where's Angelique?" he whined as he was at last allowed to sit.

"She's coming back from Washington."

"I want to see her."

"She isn't here yet."

"I won't sign anything until I see her."

Did they think he was born yesterday? They'd have him sign anything they needed, and then they would forget about him.

"You see this pile of paperwork here? George pointed to it. "Do you know what's in it? You can choose to have me fish the warrant out of it now, or leave it here until Willie comes and turns it into confetti.

"I was promised more than immunity."

"If Megan promised you that, she'll deliver. She doesn't renege on her promises. Not even on the likes of you."

"I want to see my sister."

"You'll see her when she gets here."

"You waited for this statement this long. You can wait until she gets here."

"Mr. Blair" George was losing patience "I'm a busy man."

"So do what you have to do. As for myself, I am tired from the trip."

"Then I can arrange your bead and board." George's fingers dug into the pile. "Here it is. I am now officially arresting you. You have the right to one phone call. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to have your attorney present during interrogation. If you can't afford one the county will provide one for you. Should you waive the right, anything you say can and will be used in a court of law."

Nicholas shrugged. He hoped that the cots at the jail were comfortable.

* * *

Roger and Derek came into the hospital separately and encountered each other in the corridor. Then they went to a broom closet nearby. Derek went in, and Roger had to wait until Derek unlocked it from the inside. Making sure that nobody was watching him, Roger went inside.

Derek had a weak flashlight on "Cannot use anything stronger or we'd be seen." he said.

He opened the case he was carrying and took out two white coats.

"You put on this one" he told Roger.

After Roger had done son, Derek handed him a long robe. "Put this one on top."

While Roger did so, Derek unfolded a portable wheelchair. Roger sat down on it and put the case in which all the supplies were carried on his knees.

A blanket over his legs completed the disguise.

They came out of the closet. Derek, in his white coat, pushing the wheelchair.

"You guide me to Phillip's room" said Derek.

"Keep right" Roger took out his gun.

"Don't use that."

"We might need to."

"If you fire a shot, everybody will come after you. At least take out the bullets" he pleaded. " the guard won't know the difference."

He wasn't going to get a cop killing in his hands if he could help it.

"But without a gun, how are we going to deal with the guard?"

"Chloroform. Makes a lot less noise."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

David woke up. He extended his hand towards his 'works'. As he fingers closed on it, he realized how few of his supplies were left.

"It can't be" he told himself "I couldn't have used them up so soon."

He searched the floor of the cave for any that might have rolled away.

"There must be more than that" he muttered "There must be..."

He had enough to last him today and tomorrow. He had to get away before then... Go back to Bangor... Find more stuff there...

And explain to Silky about the money he was supposed to give him from what he sold? For the first time since he had moved to the cave he remembered that ;problem.

And not only that. He might t] make it to the bus station. But he would certainly start the cold turkey in the middle of the trip... He'd be taken to the hospital, and then arrested...

He had to stay there. He had to have his cold turkey before he ever boarded the bus.. After all, he had gone through cold turkey once. It had hurt like Hell, but it didn't kill him.

* * *

Derek pushed Roger forward. They could see that while the guard at Phillip's door wasn't asleep yet, he was nodding.

That guard was one of the reasons why Derek was willing to stage this caper. That guard was an old man who had been given an easy job until he could retire.

Except for the guard, they were all alone in the corridor. Derek took out his chloroform bottle and pad.

It was going to be easy. Real easy. Now if only he could part Roger from that gun...The sheriff's words haunted him 'a cop killing' If something went wrong, Roger would get out on grounds of insanity, leaving him to take the rap.

To tell the truth, he wasn't so happy with the chloroform either. Suppose the old man had a bad reaction to it...it had happened before.

He was worrying too much, he told himself. Nothing would happen. Everything was going to be all right.

By the time they crossed in front of the guard Roger led drop a piece of linen he had been holding in his hand. He made a feeble gesture as if trying to retrieve it.

The guard smiled at him in sympathy and bent down to pick it up for him.

Before he could rise again, he felt the clod steel of Roger's gun against his chest.

"Don't you move, you commie, or I'll blast you."

Quickly, Derek pressed the pad against the man's nose and mouth. Fast, before Roger pulled the trigger.

There was a faint struggle from the guard. Too long, thought Derek. If it went on any longer, the gun might yet go off.

Finally the man went limp.

"Let's tie him up in the closet." Roger said.

Trust Roger to come up with an idea like that. Of course. Tie him up, and gag him too. So that when he came to and vomited, he'd suffocate.

"No" he said firmly "if ewe do that they'll miss him. Leave him in the seat, and he'll seem to be sleeping.

Roger grumbled, but helped Derek position the unconscious man on the seat. Then they went into the room.

"It is time" Roger told Phillip.

"Good" Phillip jumped out of bed He put on the clothes that Derek handed to him.

"There's a heavy coat and snow books in the car. They would not fit in the case with the wheelchair, so you'll have to put them on outside."

"It is all right. I'll manage."

"Now, put on the robe."

"Not the white coat?"

"You are going in the wheelchair.

Phillip sat on the wheelchair and let Roger cover his legs with the blanket. Then Derek wrapped a bandage around his head.

"We can go now" Derek took off his own white coat and put it back in the case. "Is the coast clear?"

"Yes."

"Good, let's go out."

Outside, Roger steered Phillip to the elevator.

"We part here" Derek said. "You take him out by the fire escape to the car. You might have to run for it, but I don't think you'll need to."

"What about you?"

"I will go to the main lobby and create a disturbance. Take advantage of that."

As he saw them go, Derek wondered if Phillip was safe in Roger's hands. He'd better or there would be Hell to pay with a _very _angry Megan.

* * *

George let out a long stream of obscenities when he learned of the details of Phillip's escape.

"Stanley is sure that it was Roger Collins?" he asked again. As if he didn't know the answer...

"Yes, it was the nut, all right. He had a gun. And he called Stanley a dirty commie."

George hoped, for Roger's sake that the gun was the product of Stanley's imagination. Not that it was likely to be. Stanley was too good a cop for that.

"And the other one? Did Stanley recognize him?

"He seemed to be an orderly."

Of course, nobody looks at orderlies in a hospital. He had a hunch.

"That incident, the Jehovah's witness who started preaching in the address system. Have you got a description of him?"

"You think it is tied to it?" The deputy's face brightened up "How come I didn't think of that?"

"Because I'm the sheriff and you are the deputy." George couldn't resist the temptation to poke fun at the other man. "Go get it."

When he got that description, he'd be most surprised if that guy, and the orderly did not turn out to be Derek Pearce...

The phone rang. It was Megan.

"Is it true? Did Phillip...?"

"Yes. He broke out. Aided by Roger Collins. And twenty to one that Pearce is involved.

"And Nicholas hasn't cleared him yet?"

"He's sitting tight. He won't say another word until he sees Angelique."

"She isn't here yet."

"What do you think I've been telling him all this time? I have to start hunting for Phillip now.

"George, don't"

"Don't what?"

"Give Phillip time. Don't start looking for Phillip until Nicholas clear him."

"You don't want him to be a fugitive when we catch him? Sorry, ga,l but one of my men was attacked and I'm not going to stand still for that."

"But I was told that Stanley was all right."

"Not thanks to Phillip."

"George, give Phillip a chance. Or...or I'll tell Barnabas about you."

George was silent for some seconds, calming himself.

"Look, Megan" he was more reasonable now. "He'd be safer in jail than where he is. Roger has a gun with him."

"He has?" Megan thought about it. Roger and a gun was a scary proposition.

"Also there's David to consider. It have a report that the was seen around a farm today. If he and Phillip should meet..."

"But the full moon won't be here for three more days."

"I know. But his drug supply can run out before that. I have to assume that. And you know what you told us. Cold turkey can have on him the same effect as the full moon. Megan, this is not the time for your husband to be running cross country.

"I guess you are right" she sighed "I hate being so...helpless. Well I'll go do something useful. Like leaving a note at Angelique's telling her to meet us at the jail."

George hung up, feeling the acid drip in his stomach.

He went to the jail where he could see Nicholas lying on a cot.

The spectacle of Nicholas looking so restful and contented was more than he could bear.

"Hey, you!" he called "How do you like jail?"

"Not bad" Nicholas stretched his arms "I've been in worse places."

"Glad you like it. Because you are going to remain there a long time."

Nicholas smiled condescendingly.

"You think that you are smart, don't you?" George lashed at him. "Well, you are dumb. If you had signed the statement you'd be out of here by now. But we've lost Phillip Todd. And there may be a werewolf loose in the woods. If Phillip is killed you'll have nothing left to bargain with."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Nicholas tried to think. If Phillip died, he'd have had it. And it seemed so simple...so easy when he had though of it...

He shouldn't have acted so cocky. He shouldn't have antagonized the sheriff. He shouldn't have lost so much time getting to Collinsport...

But, wait a minute! It wasn't the full moon yet! That sheriff must be awfully dumb if he would make up a lie like that and not bother to check the facts...

Of courses, it was a lie. A trick. Force his hand to sign that statement without taking the shadow off him.

Well, if they could play tricks, so could he. Suppose that when they came for him he'd be incoherent with fear? That he kept screaming and pointing at the wall. They they'd have to take the shadow off him. He'd be no good as a witness otherwise.

He could hear the sheriff in the next room. Shuffling papers, making phone calls... Good, he was remaining here to see what effect his little trick had. Well he could be the first one to see...

He looked at the shadow on the wall. It was too small. Nobody would believe he was afraid of that itsy-bitsy thing.

But there was way to make it grow. Use his powers.

In fact, he should use his powers just for that. He stared at it, concentrating, and sent his power to it.

The shadow began to grow.

Not bad, not bad at all. Let it grow a little more and he'd start screaming.

The shadow grew a little more.

Still too small. He had to make his act convincing. Not like that dumb sheriff...

Well, now it was the right size.

Nicholas threw his head back and screamed.

Not bad, not bad at all. He could hear the sheriff running towards him.

The shadow covered now more that half the wall, and kept growing...

"No! That's too big! Shrink! Shrink!"

The shadow lengthened.

He sent more of his power to it, trying somehow to get it to shrink. Then he remembered that the more power he threw at it, the more it would grow.

He couldn't control the chattering of his teeth. He screamed again without control. He kept screaming as the sheriff's hand closed on his shoulder.

"Cut the theater, will you? What are you..."

George did not finish. He saw the shadow on the wall and how it grew. Nicholas pointed at it while he whimpered.

A wave ran through the shadow, then one corner of it - George could scarcely believe it - detached itself from the wall...

George didn't wait. He pulled Nicholas out of the cell.

"That cannot happen" George thought "this shadow is two-dimensional. and is now free standing in a three- dimensional Universe.

Yet the shadow stood there, all by itself. It kept growing. And it moved towards Nicholas.

"Stop there!" George shouted, drawing his gun "Stop in the name of the Law!"

George felt immensely foolish for saying the things the was saying "This is my jail. This is my prisoner. He's my collar, you understand? I'm the sheriff here. If you don't like it, go elect someone else. In the meantime, there will be no Lynch Law in this town.

The shadow kept moving forward. George tried to control his hysterics and turned to Nicholas.

"Is there a way to control this thing?"

"If I drink booze..."

"There is some in one of the drawers of that desk there. Run for it, I'll cover you."

Nicholas dashed out while George kept to his post, legs apart, hands pointing an useless gun to the slowly approaching shadow.

He could see, from the corner if his eye, Nicholas rummaging through the drawers. Should have told him which one it was..

Then he saw that Nicholas was opening the bottle. Not a moment to soon.

There was a ripple inside the shadow. It seemed to lose color, too. He turned his face, and saw Nicholas drinking straight from the bottle.

"Whew!" he dropped on a chair "That was a close call."

The shadow was wavering.

"It is getting weaker" thought George "and now it needs a wall."

The shadow retreated, getting paler and smaller s it did so.

"If there was a way to cut it off from the wall it would disappear" George muttered "the problem is how to do it."

"What...what...ssshhh...shhheriff?"

So drinking not only reduced the shadow. It made Nicholas incoherent.

That that was the only witness that Megan could dig up..

Unless they got rid of that shadow, Nicholas would not be good for anything.

"This shadow, how come it follows you?"

"Ange..Ang...Angelique."

"Angelique?"

"She...she... mad."

"She got mad at you, and so she gave it to you?"

Nicholas nodded.

Typical of Angelique. Giving off curses left and right, like a hooker giving off VD. She got mad at somebody? She cursed him. And for the poor peasant like him who had to pay for the broken dishes afterwards...

"I'll make her take it off you if it's the last think I do."

* * *

Angelique came in with Frank in tow.

"What is it? Megan left a note saying I had to see you.

"Right. We have an emergency here.

"What's wrong?"

"We got our star witness in the cage. You can see him."

"Nicholas!"

"Yes, he's incoherent now. Drunk and hysterical. He's going to be very convincing. I can't wait for what the D.A. will say when he sees him."

"What hapenned to him?"

"The shadow you put on thing. You know, that two-dimensional thing. Very dark, lives always on a wall."

"I know." Angelique paled.

"Well, you put it there, you send it away."

"It is not going to be that easy."

"Of course, you are better at putting curses than at taking them away."

Angelique flinched. Frank put his arm protectively around her. "There is no need to say that."

"Young man" George faced Frank "I'm the sheriff here and I say if there is a need or if there isn't. And now I say the shadow has to go. It could be done" his tone of voice changed "it detached itself from the wall a short while ago. But it cannot last that way too long. If we could force it to stay detached and keep it from getting back to the wall..."

"Yes, that would do it." Angelique agreed. "We have to use Nicholas as bait."

"Nicholas isn't good for anything now. He can barely stand on his own."

"Then we can transfer the shadow to someone else."

"Meaning me."

"I...I did not mean..."

"Look, somebody has to be the bait. And I don't think you want to draft your boyfriend for it. What do we have to do?"

"We need the paper cutout of the shadow. I still have it. I will also need blood and some water."

"Distilled water, or tap water good enough?

"Tap water will do."

"As for the blood, is it mine?"

"I'd better use Frank's"

Well, that seemed to be a charm, thought George - each time Frank came to Collinsport, someone took blood from him...


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Nicholas wasn't easy to handle. He fought off George's and Frank's attempts to take him to George's desk.

"Why do you want me there?" he asked as he thought to escape them.

"We are going to get rid of the shadow once and for all."

"No." Nicholas' teeth chattered "you are going to kill me. _She's_ going to kill me.

"Don't worry. She won't. She will help you."

Nicholas laughed. "She never helps anyone. She can't. She only hurts.

"Speak for yourself, brother" Frank managed to get a good grip on Nicholas' arm and forced him to stand up.

They dragged him out, in spite of his screams.

"You executing him?" asked the drunk in the cell next to Nicholas'

"Not yet." George grumbled.

They set him down on a chair. Letting Frank hold him, George poured a cup of coffee and tried to force it down Nicholas' throat.

"Drink, will you?'" he said, in disgust as half of it poured down the sides of Nicholas' mouth.

The second cup went down better. Finally Nicholas was able to sit up straight on his own power.

"What's next in the agenda, sheriff?" Frank looked around for clues.

"Getting a paramedic kit, and waiting for Angelique to show up."

The second part took some time. George had time to offer two rounds of coffee to Frank and Nicholas before she was back.

"Here it is" she waved the cutout as she came in "We can start now."

"You mean this itsy-bitsy thing caused all that trouble?" George looked at it. "What would happen if I tore it up?"

"You'd tear the shadow, too. And the pieces would start to grow into full grown shadows themselves."

"It figures...How much blood do we need?

"Ten ccs would be fine."

"Good, go get the water. I'll talk to Frank."

Frank turned when he heard his name.

"You want me?"

"Yes. Roll up your sleeve."

"What for?"

"I want some blood out of you."

"You too?" Frank snapped "I already gave, you know."

"It is for a good cause."

"I've been through a lot of office collections, and I know all the lines. That's the oldest of the lot."

"I don't have the time nor the patience to watch you try to be funny. Just roll up your sleeve."

"All right, all right." Frank rolled up his sleeve "you have a short temper."

"With the kind of day I had, St. Francis would have a short temper." George tightened the rubber tubing around Frank's upper arm.

"Can you handle an hypodermic?" Frank asked, this time with genuine curiosity.

"Have to know a bit of everything in my job. I had a heart attack in my office a little while and I had to give CPR."

"Did he live?" Frank felt the needle go into his arm.

"Yes. In fact, he got well enough to stand trial and be convicted" George watched the blood flow into the hypodermic "It was a mail fraud case" This he spoke aloud for Nicholas to hear.

All in all, Frank thought, it was more pleasant than having it done by Megan.

"Well, I have it" George released the rubber tubing on Frank's arm. You can go now."

"Are you done?" Angelique called from the other end of the room.

"Yes. What do we do now?"

"Give me the blood. And bring Nicholas to the center of the room."

When they got the protesting Nicholas to where Angelique wanted him, she had made an incomplete circle in the middle of the floor, using the blood and water.

"George, you stand inside the circle."

He did so.

"We have to lure it inside, you understand? When he gets after you, you jump back."

George nodded. That trick better work, or Collinsport would need a new sheriff tomorrow.

"Nicholas, you pin the cutout on George's chest."

Nicholas was only too willing to do that.

"Good, now we have to make it grow again."

She sent her power to it and waited.

The shadow swelled in size. There seemed to be a deep wave coming through it,. Now it covered half the wall.

George blinked. He couldn't afford fear now. Slumped on a chair, Nicholas whimpered again.

The shadow began detaching itself from the wall.

Frank felt cold. Yet he wasn't the one in danger. The sheriff was. He felt ashamed for his earlier behavior.

Angelique began a droning chant s the shadow kept detaching itself.

Then the shadow stood alone.

"I could bust it for having no visible means of support" thought George.

The shadow began to move forward. George stole a glance to his back. the way should be clear when he jumped. He did not want to stumble on Nicholas and leave his foot inside the circle...

The shadow inched forward.

Frank gripped the back of his chair, trying to decide whether to believe his eyes or not...

The shadow was now at an arm's length of George. Should he jump now? He looked at Angelique for a clue.

The shadow was now by the circle's edge.

George jumped back, holding his breath.

The shadow entered the circle.

Angelique ran behind it and closed the circle "It's done" she told George.

The shadow still moved forward. Then it stopped.

"You see" Angelique explained "he cannot get out."

George nodded He didn't care for explanations now. He just hugged himself, unsure whether he was still alive.

The shadow beat against the invisible wall holding it. Then it turned and tried to go out by the side.

But anywhere it turned, the barrier was there...

George decided he needed a stiff one. He went to get the bottle. Halfway there he remembered that Nicholas had already emptied it.

"Are you all right? Frank asked him.

George nodded "I just remembered I have no booze left. Well coffee will have to do.:

He forced himself to serve a round. There was no danger now. The shadow was caught. Soon it would die for lack of a wall...

He looked at it. It had grown smaller. And it wavered. It kept beating against the circle's edges trying to find an opening that wasn't there.

"It's like a Moebius strip" said Frank "Just two dimensions."

"It came from a two-dimensional Universe."

"And you trapped it here to do your dirty work" George grumbled "and now it has to die so far from its home."

"Sheriff!" Frank reproved him.

"It's the truth. Look at it. It doesn't want to die. No living thing wants to die..."

Frank looked at it. Was it his imagination or was that thing actually sobbing? He looked at the sheriff. No it wasn't imagination. The sheriff heard it too.

Its color was fading as it shrank. Now it was only as tall as a man's knee. And it kept shrinking and twisting as it searched for a way to escape...

"What did it have to do with you and your brother?" George went on. It only wanted to be left alone in his home...Instead you brought it here, to be your hit man. And now it has to die...

Angelique closed her fists, but said nothing.

It was now a wisp of smoke on the floor. Beating against a wind that would soon extinguish it.

"It will be over soon" Frank sighed.

It wavered a little more, and then it was gone.

Angelique walked over to the circle. She took the paper cutout and laid it, almost tenderly on the stop where the shadow had stopped struggling.

Then she set fire to it.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18'

Pain racked David's body. He tried to force himself to eat anything, but he was unable to.

Nausea made him bend over. It was no use. He had already thrown out all that was inside his stomach.

He shivered. It was more than cold. His muscles were shaking and contracting without his being able to do anything about it...

He should be able to handle it. He had gone through all that before...

But no so hard. On, no, it hadn't been so hard then.

Needles stabbed his ankles. And it felt like his leg bones were being pulled apart.

That hadn't happened before...The needles, yes, but not the bones.

There was a great weight in his chest, crushing his ribs. He fought for breath, panting.

What was wrong? Why did it hurt so much? Was it because...because he had shot the pure stuff in the cave while before it had been cut with milk sugar?

That's why he had no stuff left now. He had been shooting more and more of it every day...

A growl rose in his chest. It went up, tearing his throat as it forced its way out.

He dropped to the floor, curled into a ball. If the pain would only stop for a few seconds...

It didn't. It kept growing and exploding inside his body. His skin was now on fire.

Hair began sprouting up. His nails lengthened while his fingers and toes contracted into paws.

Fire ran through him as the fur covered his body... Growls came out of lips. And with each growl, the teeth became pointier.

* * *

Roger handed a cup of hot broth to Phillip.

"Here, take this. Pearce will be here soon."

"What is taking him so long? It is dusk already."

Roger considered that. Better not tell Phillip about Derek. Not yet, anyway.

"He had some loose ends to tie up. This is serious business, after all."

Phillip nodded. "I know, it's silly of me, but I tend to be wary of people who don't turn up until after sunset.

Phillip laughed, uneasily, to show how groundless his fear was. Roger's echo of this laughter had a hollow ring.

"You don't have to worry about Pearce." Roger said quickly Too quickly. "He's a good Republican. A good patriot, too. It is only Democrats that have cemeteries voting for them."

"Barnabas is a Democrat, isn't he?"

"Of course. For Democrats, the fact that somebody has been dead for over a hundred years is no reason to keep him away from the polling booth. Or the Federal payroll, either."

"That's for sure." Phillip spoke somewhat absentmindedly while looking out of the window. "When Pearce shows up, what do we do?"

"Then we get out of town."

"I know that. How do we do it?"

"Pearce will tell us when he gets here."

Pearce again...for some reason, Phillip's unease grew What did he know about Pearce, anyway? Only that he had teamed up with Roger, and helped him escape the hospital...

The escape had been easy, too easy...

And he had been watching Roger all day. The way he played with the gun. The way he repeated the same things over and over about the Democrats...

What self-respecting conspirator would team up with Roger?

Unless he was being set up. He tensed at the thought...A way to get rid of him. So that he didn't tell other what he knew about Barnabas and his wife.

But they knew already...

How could he fit that puzzle together?

Nurse Harding had told him that neither of them wished him ill. That they were trying to clear him of Paul Stoddard's murder. that's what the sheriff had told him, too. And if the sheriff believed he was innocent. and wanted to help him, that explained the loose guard he had been under. Certainly the old man at the door had been marking time more than anything else.

But who had shot him? And why? That story of gangsters mistaking him for somebody else was fishy...

Yet he had nothing else to work on..

If what Nurse Harding had told him was true, then he could trust Barnabas. He could trust...Megan.

It hurt him to think of her. His High School sweetheart. Such a nice girl. A little bit reckless, perhaps. But they could have been happy together...

Instead he had to watch Jeb Hawkes turn her into a vicious, cruel creature he couldn't bear to look at.

But he still loved her. He had confessed to Paul Stoddard's murder to protect her. Then Barnabas had come into his cell. That was after Jeb had had his revenge on him.

Then, it had been Megan who had come into his cell. She seemed different now. More like the Megan he had married. He had dared to hope that somehow things would fix themselves...But then she had pulled her lips back...

Phillip hugged himself. There was so much pain in those memories...

There had been another visitor. A ghost. He had made a deal with him. He would be allowed to kill Barnabas in exchange for killing Hawkes first.

He tried. Instead he went over the cliff.

It didn't make sense. He should have died from that drop. Yet he was alive, with no way of knowing how he could have survived. He didn't remember anything. One moment he was in the air, looking at the sharp stones that would receive his falling body. The next moment, he was looking down on a gun that sent bullets through him...

There was a knock at the door. Roger went to it, holding his gun.

"Who is it?"

"Pearce. And put away that gun before you shoot somebody!"

"How did you know I had the gun? Roger asked, while opening the door.

"Just guessing" Pearce sighed "Can I have it back?"

"I paid for it." Roger put his free hand over the gun. protectively.

"All right." Seeing Roger play with that gun was almost enough to make him forget about the money and go home. Almost, but not quite.

"Well, Mr. Pearce" Phillip greeted him. "I want to thank you for what you did for me."

"It is nothing, Mr. Todd." Pearce struck his most heroic pose "you'd have done the same thing for me, had our positions been reversed."

Pearce should have stopped there. Roger was sold on his act already, and Phillip was too stunned to appreciate his speech. But he had spent a long time composing and rehearsing it, and he felt it would be a waste if he didn't say it now.

"This is a very serious situation. It is bigger than you or me. The future of our nation is at stake. Make no mistake. They are powerful and ruthless. Nobody knows who they are. The make the people believe they elect a Government, but as soon as a President tries to fight them, they destroy him..."

The beauty of this speech was that it worked equally well with the Right Wing, like Roger, who thought he meant Nixon, and with the Left, who thought he meant Kennedy.

"But they have their weak points. We can take advantage of them. It will require courage. Real courage. We must not lose heart. We must remember the patriots of 76..."

Launched on his speech, Pearce forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. So it was that he stood next to a mirror that Roger had forgotten to remove or cover...

Phillip saw it. He stared at the mirror in stunned silence for a whole minute.

"You are one of them.." he backed away from Pearce "One of them."

"What?" Pearce did not enjoy being interrupted. "One of them what?"

He saw the mirror a few inches from his face.

"You idiot!" he snarled at Roger. "Instead of playing with the gun, you should have taken this away."

Philip bolted to the door and tried to force the doorknob/

"Don't you move!" Roger pointed the gun at him.

Phillip froze.

"Roger, that's enough." Pearce could see how Roger's finger hugged the trigger..

"He's lost his nerve. You said it yourself. We have to be brave. We can't let _them _get hold of him. If they do, he'll tell them everything.

That nut really meant to kill Phillip. Murder One on a platter!

"Give me the gun" he barked at Roger.

"What?"

"Give me the gun, I tell you!" No money in the world was worth watching Roger play with the gun.

"Not before I keep him from talking."

"You'll have to shoot me first." Pearce moved between Roger and Phillip.

Roger said nothing, his gun steady in his hand.

"There is no conspiracy! There never was!" Pearce shouted "I was jut getting money out of you!"

He saw Roger's facet twist. He moved slightly to the side. The gun moved, too.

He was now the target, not Phillip.

He kept moving. The gun followed him. When he saw that Phillip was out of the firing line he shouted again.

"I'm no Republican! I think that Republicans stink! I think that you are completely crazy! I think that Nixon is guilty as Hell!"

Roger fired.

Pearce knew that the bullet couldn't kill him. But he didn't know how much it hurt to have one of them cut through his body...

He hoped that Phillip had taken advantage of the commotion and escaped. He didn't see him standing nor bleeding on the floor...

"You didn't kill me!" he shouted "Fire again, you nut!":

He had to make Roger exhaust his bullets. He couldn't risk wrestling him while the gun could still go off.

Roger pulled the trigger. Again and again. The bullets hurt, but he could bear it.

The gun clicked empty. Roger pulled the trigger once more. Still empty. He held it like a club and fell on Pearce.

Pearce caught him with a blow to the throat.

Roger bent over. Pearce caught his arm and pinned him to the wall.

"I'm sorry, Roger. You shouldn't be allowed to play with guns."

He tied Roger's hands. "That's better." He bent down and picked the gun fallen on the floor. "I should have broken the firing pin...

* * *

Phillip tried to run, but the snow was too deep for him. He struggled against it, only managing to exhaust himself.

He stopped to rest. Where was he running to, anyway? Back to the hospital? To jail? How could he be sure he wasn't running in circles, anyway?

What had happened between Roger and Pearce? Who had won that fight? And would the victor come looking for him?

There was a distant growl. He tried to make out what it could be, A small animal, maybe...

Small? There were bears in the forest. And coyotes. And dog packs...

He shouldn't be there. He should at least climb a tree.

But bears could climb trees...

At least it was still away. It might pass him by...

The growl came closer. The moonlight reflecting on the snow let him see a figure, too erect to be a bear...

He remembered the stories that went around in 1970. Involuntarily, he screamed.

The wolf that was David heard the scream. It sniffed in that direction and that brought to him the smell of fear.

His fur bristled. Here was meat. And meat too scared to fight back...

Phillip ran through the snow, trying to reach the lighted windows that he could see at a distance.

He shouldn't run so fast, he should conserve his strength. Don't attract the beast's attention...

There was a large distance between David and Phillip. But David was gaining.

There was a road ahead for Phillip. He reached it. Maybe he could flag a car...

David kept gaining on him. Phillip didn't dare look back to see how close he was getting.

There were headlights coming his way. But still too far...

He ran towards them. At least the road was easy to run on...

David was only a short distance away...

So was the car. Phillip shouted and waved his arms... he could still make it...

It was a police car. One of them held a rifle pointed ahead. Towards him.

David fell on him.

He felt the half-hands, half paws sink on his shoulders, and he fell forward, He wondered how long would his coat protect him.

David went limp over him.

The cops came out of the car. They took David off him and lifted him to his feet.

'Hey, Rafe! double bingo. Not only the werewolf, but him too."

"We'll get a promotion out of this, yet...You.." he said to Phillip "get into the car. We are taking you back to the hospital."

"And to jail?" there was only relief in Phillip now.

"No, not jail. Mr. Blair cleared you. You are only wanted for not leaving without going through checkout and paying your bill.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Willie, you've got to let me out. I've already exhauster my sick leave. And my vacation, too."

"That's why I am coming to see you." Willie pocketed the cross that lay on Barnabas' chest "You can go."

"Really?" Barnabas sat up quickly, only to be reminded no to make any sharp movements with his shoulder muscles.

"Careful now" Willie helped him up "I have to drive you now."

"Why?"

"Because you can't fly with that shoulder."

Barnabas nodded, accepting the situation.

"By the way, Iris is asking for you. Do I tell her that you are up and about?"

"I'...I'm not sure. With my shoulder it would be better if she wasn't around."

Willie managed not to laugh. Who would have thought in 1967 that Barnabas would one day be hiding from an oversexed woman?"

"All right. On the way I'll tell you all that happened yesterday."

"What happened?"

"A three ring circus. Roger, Nicholas, Phillip, Pearce... everything but the kitchen sink

* * *

George's mood had somewhat improved since the day before, but not much. There were two people he believed should be put away. And a third he fervently wished he could deep-six. Instead, he had to let Roger go with a warning, and turn David over to Barnabas, never mind that Barnabas seemed unable to take care of himself.

And Derek Pearce had disappeared, depriving him of the pleasure of deep-sixing him.

Carolyn came in, slamming the door.

"Where's my uncle"? she barked at the sheriff.

"In his cell" George ground his teeth.

"On what charge? If you try to hold him for that Philip Todd thing, my lawyer will make sure that others pay, too.

"Your uncle is being held on a drunk and disorderly charge, for starters. And for breaking firearms regulations. I can find enough charges against him, even if Phillip never makes an attempted murder complaint."

"You don't scare me. We both know that you can't afford to prosecute my uncle."

George stood up and rubbed his knuckles "May I be frank with you?"

"That would be a change."

"If I had my way I'd send Roger to an institution for the criminally insane. I can't. But if he keeps going the way he has, sooner or later someone will get killed, and then I'll put him away forever. Do you want that to happen?

"It won't happen" Carolyn gritted her teeth, determined not to show any weakness in front of the sheriff.

"You should get him to get treatment voluntarily."

"Say aloud that he's crazy?"

"Just prostrated with grief over his son. Nothing disgraceful in getting treatment for _that._

"And if I don't"

"I'll be breathing down his neck to find anything I can use to lock him up. And believe me, I will find it. Then I'll lock him up and throw away the key."

"You won't" It took all of Carolyn's willpower not to flinch at his words.

"Just think about it, Mrs. Hawkes. Think well. Then tell me your decision."

As she left the room,, Barnabas was coming in.

"What a coincidence! Fancy meeting you here." Sarcasm was her only weapon now.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Roger_."_

"Of course" she took out a cigarette, slowly and lit it. Then deliberately blew the smoke on Barnabas' face. "Don't make the sheriff wait. You know how much he likes to see you. He just can't bear not to have you around."

A shiver ran through George's back. How much Carolyn know? Trying to dismiss the thought, he turned to Barnabas.

There was pain in Barnabas' face. Part of it must be the collarbone. George knew how hard it was for him to move around. A thousand of little movements, which he usually did without thinking, were now stabs of pain.

But it wasn't just the collarbone.

"You are holding David..." Barnabas said as he sat down. slowly "I would like to have him released in my custody."

"You got a doctor?" This was going to take long, George realized.

"Julia Hoffman is coming back."

"But she isn't here yet. And you have no guarantee that she'll take the case."

"If she doesn't, Megan will find someone else for me."

"I know that" George sighed "and you know that. But the D.A. does not know that."

"Couldn't you...?"

"I've filled my quota of favors this month."

Barnabas looked down, crossing and uncrossing his hands over the handle of his cane.

"I wish I could do something... I should have known long ago what he was doing."

"The drugs."

"The signs were all there, but I didn't want to read them. What is it about love that makes us blind? Had it been someone else I'd have known. But him... I saw him grow up. I pulled him out of trouble once. First Quentin, then Gerard.. and yet...What did go wrong?"

"I'd say that David has a yen for self-destruction that we haven't begun to scratch. Didn't his mother kill herself?"

Laura Collins. David's mother and great grandmother. And she made a living out of killing herself...

Was Laura at the bottom of David's problems.?

"I wish I had a simple answer."

"There are no simple answers. Anywhere in the world. We just pretend there are, so we can do our jobs."

"Where's David?"

"In the hospital. Doped to the eyeballs."

"I don't like that."

"With the full moon almost upon us, can you blame them?"

"It isn't the full moon. They do that to all difficult patients. Makes them easy to manage. Might turn them into vegetables, but better a vegetable than an unruly patient...They even lobotomize them sometimes...

"David's going to be all right." He's not going to end up a vegetable. Julia will get here, and the you'll have David.: Until then, you have to be patient."

* * *

Have we seen the last of Derek Pearce (aka Elmer Urrey)? Can David be cured both of lycanthropy and drug addiction? Now that Nicholas Blair is back, and released from Angelique's shadow, what will he do next? Can Barnabas handle paperwork without risking another out-of-control episode? And what will Phillip do now that he is free again?

These and other questions will find answers in following installments of the Collinsport Chronicles.


End file.
